Pontello joined the Gulf South Conference in August 2023. In his role, he will oversee the conference’s video and broadcasting efforts by working with member institutions to uphold video production standards and forecast potential areas of growth. He will serve as the league liaison with broadcasting partner, FloSports.
He arrived with nearly a decade of on-campus experience serving as the Sports Information Director for NAIA and NCAA Division II institutions with his previous stops including Saint Leo, Thomas University (Ga.) and West Texas A&M.
While at Thomas, Pontello transformed Night Hawks' sports media, reintroducing play-by-play broadcasts while adding new video content pieces. Additionally, he oversaw the redesign of TU’s athletic website. In 2021-22, Pontello established Thomas' first-ever road radio and video broadcasts, including coverage of the Night Hawks' NAIA Flag Football national tournament run at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
He began his collegiate career serving as a Graduate Assistant at West Texas A&M. In addition to routine SID responsibilities, Pontello called several NCAA South Central Regional Tournament contests, including the 2018 Women's Soccer NCAA DII Elite Eight.
A native of Tampa, Fla., Pontello received his Bachelor’s in Sports Business from Saint Leo in 2016, before earning a Masters in Communications from West Texas A&M in 2019. He is also a member of the College Sports Communicators (CSC).