About Val

Val Hale grew up a BYU fan in Arizona and Orem, Utah. While attending BYU in 1980, he interned in the Sports Information Office.  When Cougar Stadium was expanded in 1982, he was hired to oversee marketing and publications for Athletics and Special Events. He then went to work in the Development Office with the Cougar Club for a couple of years before being hired as Assistant Athletic Director for External Affairs. After a decade in that role, Hale was named BYU's ninth Director of Athletics.

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During his tenure as AD, Hale oversaw the planning and building of Miller Park (baseball/softball complex), the Indoor Practice Facility and the Student Athlete Center. Additionally, he added Legacy seats in the east stands at Cougar Stadium and instituted the Courtside Cougar seats in basketball. 

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After Hale left BYU, he served eight years as vice president at Utah Valley University and two years as President and CEO of the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce. Utah Governor Gary Herbert then recruited Hale to serve as Executive Director of the Governor's Office of Economic Development, a position he held for nearly seven years.

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Hale co-authored Touchdowns, Tipoffs and Testimonies: A look at the spiritual side of BYU Athletics with Equipment Manager Floyd Johnson in 1989 and Living a Life That Matters: Seven keys for purposeful living in 2014.