Jay Hilbrands '13 receives 4 Under 40 Alumni Achievement Award

Jay Hilbrands ’13 has always had a strong sense of calling. 

When he was searching for a college, he had a couple of nonnegotiable factors: the school needed a strong athletic program and quality academics. He knew a major state school might look great on his résumé, but he quickly eschewed them in favor of Bethel, following in the footsteps of his older sister, Shannon; a cousin; and lots of family friends and church connections; to become a Royal. 

There was another practical component that—looking back now—made a lot of sense for someone growing up on a farm in the rural small town of Clara City, Minnesota. Even though it’s just minutes from all the culture and opportunity of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Bethel’s campus feels secluded and even a little pastoral. 

“There was just a sense of peace and comfort with that,” Hilbrands says. “When you’re at Bethel, you don’t feel like you’re 15 minutes away from downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul, but it was incredible to have easy access to everything the Twin Cities provides.” 

He was recruited to play wide receiver for the Royals, and looks back on the team’s success during his college years—and the experiences he had off the field—with fondness. He recognizes the intense personal development that happens in young people from the age of 18 to 22, and he’s glad he got to experience those years among teammates, roommates, and friends he met at Bethel. It also played a major role in where he’s gone since. 

“Bethel set the tone for my life. It’s where I met my wife, my closest friends, and discovered the career path that launched an incredible journey. The people you surround yourself with shape your experience, and I was fortunate to walk alongside peers, faculty, and staff who helped do that in such an impactful way at Bethel. Living life together—celebrating highs, pushing through lows, and sharing every moment—made my college years truly transformative, leaving me with lifelong relationships and life-changing experiences.”

Academically, he dove into a communication studies major with an emphasis in relational studies. It was broad enough to allow him leeway in what he could do after graduation, but specific enough to help him capitalize on his outgoing nature and aptitude for marketing and making connections. Early on, Hilbrands knew he wanted to be in the athletics sphere: maybe broadcasting, a front office role with a major franchise, or athletic administration. He leaned on his faculty advisors for guidance around coursework and career exploration, but he also said “yes” every time an interesting opportunity came about outside the classroom.

He worked closely with and was mentored by Greg Peterson, who is now athletic director for the Royals, and former Athletics Communications Director Jared Johnson. He was supported as a player, but also encouraged and challenged by the entire athletics department, where every member of the football staff and administrative team was just as invested in his success off the field. From the athletic director to the coaches to the athletic trainers to the support staff and his football teammates, he came to understand that the Bethel athletic ethos was about more than winning; it was about building up young leaders for success as people and professionals.

“They all helped shape me and understand truly what I wanted to do,” Hilbrands says, joking that anytime he wasn’t in class or at practice, he was likely in the athletics department in the Robertson Center lower level. “At Bethel, you've got these people who are lifelong servants, because they care so deeply about the mission of the university. Winning aside, these people were and are about all the right things.”

He became a teaching assistant and ran an athletics radio show in conjunction with the Department of Communication Studies. He began an internship in communications and marketing for the athletics department, compiling stats and game write-ups and maintaining rosters for class credit. He assisted in gameday operations with Peterson—”Petey”—before throwing on number 6 and taking to the football field himself. There, he scored 13 career touchdowns and racked up 1,041 receiving yards for the Royals. 

While he was building a toolbox of practical skills that serve him today, he also developed a philosophy of athletics that is foundational to how he operates. “I'm a firm believer that sports are the most powerful tool to unite people, to teach life lessons, and to build community,” he says. “Those are all things that were part of my own journey as a student-athlete, things that I thought I wanted to create someday, but that was only affirmed through Bethel.” 

Since graduation from Bethel, Hilbrands has had a steady ascent in the world of collegiate athletics. He became a graduate assistant in athletics while completing his master’s at Grand Canyon University in Arizona. Then he returned to the Twin Cities for three years, taking a role as assistant athletic director at the University of Northwestern, St. Paul. Jay married Royals volleyball standout Caitie (Helle) Hilbrands ’12, and they moved to Seattle for an opportunity at the University of Washington. There, Hilbrands rose up in the ranks through four athletic leadership positions before being recruited as deputy athletic director and chief of staff at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. The Hilbrands loaded up their then two-year-old and six-week-old boys, Birk and Brady, for their trip down the coast.

Jay serves on the executive leadership team at USC, overseeing all external and revenue-generating functions of the Trojans’ athletics department: marketing and advertising, fundraising, ticket sales, communications and public relations, business intelligence, social and digital media, licensing and multimedia rights, and managing name-image-likeness (NIL) opportunities for students. He leads an external relations team of over 60 full-time staff serving 600 student-athletes in one of the premier athletic programs in the country. USC’s 23 varsity programs have won 138 national championships in their history. Hilbrands gets to be at the center of it all, in many ways filling the connection-making role he’s been preparing for since his Bethel days. 

It’s a rapid-paced and sometimes confusing moment to be in the intersecting and complex worlds of college sports and leadership. Over the last handful of years, he and his teams have had to grapple with the pandemic, which all but halted collegiate athletics and drastically impacted the student experience. They’ve faced the introduction of NIL compensation and the growth of artificial intelligence, the polarizing political climate that’s impacted many facets of higher education, and cultural questions around whether college is worth it and how traditional, four-year institutions can compete with online and for-profit ones. 

Through it all, Hilbrands has had unwavering clarity around his calling and professional direction—even, maybe especially, in a setting that is not overtly Christ-centered.

“I know this is where I'm supposed to be and what I'm supposed to be doing. Sports can be the vehicle to connect all these people from all these different backgrounds,” Hilbrands says. “I feel really fortunate to have held leadership positions where I can have daily influence. I’ve got a really unique platform, and I’m very grateful for that.”

From Bethel to Phoenix to Northwestern to Washington to L.A., he’s loved seeing how a web of connections, personally and professionally, has supported him in the tight-knit athletics community. He’s come to appreciate the importance of maintaining and cultivating relationships, being unwavering in his commitment to his Christian faith and values, and being the best leader, husband, and father he can be—because people are always watching. And without a shared faith foundation with many he comes in contact with, his actions speak louder than anything he could say about Christ and the Church he represents.

In his leadership position, he has a unique vantage point and exposure to decision-making at the highest levels: the triumphs and the struggles of a well-established brand that’s feeling its way through a new era just like any other organization. He knows it’s all preparing him to be a better leader and a better person, and he’s leaning into it.

When asked about the younger Royals following in his footsteps, he encourages them to try new things, to trust their instincts and capitalize on the Bethel network and the skills they gain on campus to propel them forward into the unique paths God is calling them onto. 

“Don’t be afraid to take a risk,” he says. “Bet on yourself. Know that you can go and change the world. Why not you? Go and do what God’s calling you to—and don’t be held back for any reason.”

Nominate the next 4 Under 40 recipients!

Bethel University’s National Alumni Board annually seeks and accepts nominations for the 4 Under 40 Alumni Achievement Award. The selection is made from Bethel University graduates 40 years of age or younger who have had outstanding achievements in their career, public service, or volunteer activities.

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