From Rip City to the NBA: College of Liberal Arts alumnus helps bring fans closer to the game

Image

Matt Derhalli with former OSU basketball player and NBA Champion Gary Payton II,'23

By Hoku Tiwanak, CLA Student Writer - May 20, 2025

Matt Derhalli, ‘15, grew up in Tualatin, Oregon, where the Portland Trail Blazers were the “connective tissue” between family, friends, and just about everything else. Little did he know that his fandom and  love for the game would unexpectedly translate into a future career.

Some of his earliest memories are tied to the electric atmosphere of the Rose Garden, now called the Moda Center. Sitting among thousands of Blazers fans, he felt drawn to the environment. “It’s rare to walk into a room with 20,000 people who all share the same passion,” he said. “That sense of community stood out to me very early on.”

Wanting to work in the professional sports world in some capacity, Derhalli had the foresight to get involved early. In high school, he job-shadowed longtime Blazers play-by-play broadcaster, Mike Barrett, ‘91. That connection would later lead to a student assistant role in communications for the Oregon State athletics department. Attending OSU was always in the cards, given his family had always been Beaver fans, but the opportunity to start gaining professional experience in sports right away really solidified his decision.  

Derhalli started as a business major, but after spending time in his communications role, he realized he wanted his coursework to better reflect the work he was doing with Beaver athletics. Switching majors, he said, allowed him to “push in one direction” and fully invest in the skills he wanted to build.

“Communication is everything,” he said. “To communicate well, you also have to know how to write well.” He ultimately pursued a degree in new media communications (NMC), now called digital communication arts, with a minor in writing. 

Supporting Derhalli in his decision to switch majors and through the rest of the NMC program was former liberal arts advisor Louie Bottaro. 

“I can count on one hand the teachers and professors who changed my life, and Louie was certainly one of them,” remembered Derhalli. “He pushed me to make that leap and go all in on this career.”

Derhalli described being in the NMC in the early 2010s,  when the media landscape felt like it was changing daily, as being “at the right place at the right time.” 

“Work and school were running alongside one another,” recalled Derhalli. “I would be learning about a new platform or technology in my classes, then using it in my job.”

Through a connection with former OSU basketball player and College of Liberal Arts alumnus Lamar Hurd, ‘06, Derhalli’s first major step into professional sports media came during the summer of his junior year, when he interned with ROOT Sports Rocky Mountain, the former television partner of the Colorado Rockies. It was his first true immersion into daily broadcast production, and it affirmed to him that he was on the right path.

Just a few months later in the fall of 2014, he landed a marketing and communications role with the New York Mets while still finishing his final term at OSU. The transition from college student to full-time professional wasn’t easy. Moving across the country, never having been to New York CIty, while still finishing his classes, was a steep learning curve and a major culture shift. The Mets went on to make the World Series that season, for the first time since 2000.

“You get to the thing you’ve been working toward, and suddenly you’re all in,” he said. “You have to grow up quickly.” 

With all of his professional experience in the baseball world, Derhalli believed that working in basketball seemed unlikely, but then, an entry-level role at the National Basketball Association opened, and Derhalli went all in. He had applied to and didn’t get a summer internship at the NBA years prior, even getting former Trail Blazers legend and NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton to write him a letter of recommendation. He was not going to let this opportunity pass. He called all of his contacts, trying to find out more information and look for an “in.” After a series of challenging interviews, he got it. 

His first role was working in the broadcasting department for the NBA’s minor league, called the G League. Now in his 11th season, Derhalli serves at the intersection of storytelling and strategy for the entire NBA. As Director of Broadcasting Partnerships, Derhalli works closely with broadcasters like ESPN, NBC, and Amazon to manage day-to-day production and coordinate access to players, coaches, and behind-the-scenes moments.

His role is about balance; he helps maximize compelling broadcast content while ensuring teams and players feel respected and comfortable. He describes himself as a bridge between the league, the networks, and the stories fans see on screen. Derhalli is heavily involved in the day-to-day execution of broadcasts — coordinating microphones, cameras, interviews, and other production elements — while also driving strategy focused on innovation, maximizing team and player participation, and advocating for broadcast partners to continue elevating and growing the NBA’s overall television product. Much of Derhalli’s focus is also on managing the day-to-day relationship with ESPN, across game and studio coverage, broadcast access, planning, and collaboration around marquee events, such as All-Star Weekend, the NBA Finals, the NBA Draft and Summer League, among others.

One of his many career highlights is the 2020 NBA Bubble during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Derhalli spent 107 days inside the controlled environment, helping build and operate one of the most unprecedented setups in sports history.

“We built this unique community, almost like an NBA utopia,” he said. The experience gave him rare, close-up access to players and teams, deepening relationships and a perspective few people get to have.

Even after a decade in the league, Derhalli remains excited and driven. Each season brings new challenges, new lessons, and opportunities for growth. “At the same time that I am growing professionally, I’m still growing personally,” he said. 

The NBA isn’t just a job; it’s been a lifelong passion. He credits the networking and relationships he built for opening doors and guiding his early career. “I feel a responsibility to represent where I’m from and everyone who helped me get here,” he says.

“Oregon State means a lot to me,” Derhalli finished. “It has been and always will be a huge part of my life. I still carry with me what it taught me and everything I learned through NMC.”