‘The sky is the limit:’ Former RedHawk excited for scouting role with Cincinnati Bengals as season nears
Trey LaBounty played as a graduate student for Miami University football team while earning Master of Sport Analytics degree
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Published
Trey LaBounty earned a Master of Sport Analytics in 2023 from Miami University. LaBounty combined his passions for football and data into a role as a scouting research analyst for the Cincinnati Bengals.
‘The sky is the limit:’ Former RedHawk excited for scouting role with Cincinnati Bengals as season nears
•
Published
Trey LaBounty has always loved football. And numbers.
When he was younger, LaBounty would set his alarm for 4:30 a.m., ready to rise and build rosters in the popular Madden Football video game series.
Later, as a preferred walk-on at Stanford University, LaBounty was part of the Cardinal defensive line. He also took part in a Probability and Statistics course that gave him insight into applying data and science to sport.
Those passions carried LaBounty to Miami University, where the Lynden, Washington, native switched to tight end and played for the RedHawk football team as a graduate student before he earned a Master of Sport Analytics in 2023.
LaBounty continues combining his love for football and data in his current role as a scouting research analyst for the Cincinnati Bengals. He’s been with the NFL franchise since the spring, following an internship in a similar position with the Buffalo Bills.
That LaBounty is still involved with football does not surprise Pat Welsh, Miami’s offensive coordinator and tight ends coach.
“He loves everything about football,” Welsh said. “Even when he was here, he was working on side projects, like with the transfer portal. He experienced the portal personally, so he was trying to figure out ways to create applications to help colleges recruit kids out of the portal. He was trying to figure out apps to help portal guys get recruited. His mind just works in crazy ways.”
Part of LaBounty’s responsibilities is to provide data and research to the Bengals’ scouting department. LaBounty described it as a hybrid role that also allows him to do traditional scouting when needed.
“I’ve really enjoyed getting ingrained in our scouting department and getting to see how they operate. It’s important if you are going to support and help people to understand how they work,” LaBounty said. “The people have been great. It’s a really good organization.”
From growing up on the West Coast, his favorite NFL team is the Seattle Seahawks, though LaBounty was also a fan of the Bengals during the Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson era of the 2000s.
In March, Miami and the Bengals announced an educational partnership that makes Miami the Official University of the NFL franchise.
Getting to Miami, though, wasn’t something LaBounty necessarily saw in the cards. In fact, the question he gets most is, “How did you end up at Miami?”
The answer? He was drawn to the Sport Analytics master’s program.
“Everyone has a connection to this school,” LaBounty said. “A lot of influential people in the world of football have come through Miami. Having that name has allowed me to open doors and have conversations.”
One person who LaBounty credits with helping open doors for him is Melissa Chase. The chair of the Department of Sport Leadership and Management (SLAM) connected LaBounty with a scout who had previously been with the Bengals.
Chase said LaBounty is a perfect example of a Miami student finding the right academic program that turns into a career. LaBounty’s master’s program featured a mixture of classes in Information Systems and Analytics and SLAM.
“Those courses are very advanced and very high level,” Chase said. “He was a student-athlete in a very advanced master’s program. That’s really impressive.
“It can be very difficult to break into professional sports other than sports sales. For a student who wants to do sports analytics, it’s really important to be able to open some doors and get some experience. We strongly encourage our students, while they are here, to get into every internship opportunity, every volunteer opportunity, so they are well prepared when they graduate. Making those connections with our students just completes the cycle.”
LaBounty made another move that ended up being fortunate. It was his call to go from defensive line to tight end, Welsh said. And while switching playing positions late in a college career is rare, it’s something that is also helping LaBounty in his professional life.
“He’s really smart about football. He played defense. He played offense. He prepared on both sides,” Welsh said. “He adds his analytical brain to his football smarts, and it’s a unique combination. His brain works differently. It’s special.”
Added LaBounty: “I knew I wanted to go into this space and see the game from a high level on the offensive side. I felt it would be valuable for me, once I’m done playing and moved into a professional space, to have a better understanding of how the offense operates.”
Offense or defense, LaBounty’s focus now is on helping the Bengals in any way he can. Cincinnati’s 2025 regular season begins Sept. 7 at Cleveland.
He’s optimistic about the year ahead, too.
“I’m really excited about the opportunities,” LaBounty said. “When you have the guy we have under center (Joe Burrow), the weapons that he has, and a young, hungry defense — there are tons of potential. The sky is the limit.
“I’m thankful for the journey and excited for what the future holds.”
When he was younger, LaBounty would set his alarm for 4:30 a.m., ready to rise and build rosters in the popular Madden Football video game series.
Later, as a preferred walk-on at Stanford University, LaBounty was part of the Cardinal defensive line. He also took part in a Probability and Statistics course that gave him insight into applying data and science to sport.
Those passions carried LaBounty to Miami University, where the Lynden, Washington, native switched to tight end and played for the RedHawk football team as a graduate student before he earned a Master of Sport Analytics in 2023.
LaBounty continues combining his love for football and data in his current role as a scouting research analyst for the Cincinnati Bengals. He’s been with the NFL franchise since the spring, following an internship in a similar position with the Buffalo Bills.
That LaBounty is still involved with football does not surprise Pat Welsh, Miami’s offensive coordinator and tight ends coach.
“He loves everything about football,” Welsh said. “Even when he was here, he was working on side projects, like with the transfer portal. He experienced the portal personally, so he was trying to figure out ways to create applications to help colleges recruit kids out of the portal. He was trying to figure out apps to help portal guys get recruited. His mind just works in crazy ways.”
Part of LaBounty’s responsibilities is to provide data and research to the Bengals’ scouting department. LaBounty described it as a hybrid role that also allows him to do traditional scouting when needed.
“I’ve really enjoyed getting ingrained in our scouting department and getting to see how they operate. It’s important if you are going to support and help people to understand how they work,” LaBounty said. “The people have been great. It’s a really good organization.”
From growing up on the West Coast, his favorite NFL team is the Seattle Seahawks, though LaBounty was also a fan of the Bengals during the Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson era of the 2000s.
In March, Miami and the Bengals announced an educational partnership that makes Miami the Official University of the NFL franchise.
Getting to Miami, though, wasn’t something LaBounty necessarily saw in the cards. In fact, the question he gets most is, “How did you end up at Miami?”
The answer? He was drawn to the Sport Analytics master’s program.
“Everyone has a connection to this school,” LaBounty said. “A lot of influential people in the world of football have come through Miami. Having that name has allowed me to open doors and have conversations.”
One person who LaBounty credits with helping open doors for him is Melissa Chase. The chair of the Department of Sport Leadership and Management (SLAM) connected LaBounty with a scout who had previously been with the Bengals.
Chase said LaBounty is a perfect example of a Miami student finding the right academic program that turns into a career. LaBounty’s master’s program featured a mixture of classes in Information Systems and Analytics and SLAM.
“Those courses are very advanced and very high level,” Chase said. “He was a student-athlete in a very advanced master’s program. That’s really impressive.
“It can be very difficult to break into professional sports other than sports sales. For a student who wants to do sports analytics, it’s really important to be able to open some doors and get some experience. We strongly encourage our students, while they are here, to get into every internship opportunity, every volunteer opportunity, so they are well prepared when they graduate. Making those connections with our students just completes the cycle.”
LaBounty made another move that ended up being fortunate. It was his call to go from defensive line to tight end, Welsh said. And while switching playing positions late in a college career is rare, it’s something that is also helping LaBounty in his professional life.
“He’s really smart about football. He played defense. He played offense. He prepared on both sides,” Welsh said. “He adds his analytical brain to his football smarts, and it’s a unique combination. His brain works differently. It’s special.”
Added LaBounty: “I knew I wanted to go into this space and see the game from a high level on the offensive side. I felt it would be valuable for me, once I’m done playing and moved into a professional space, to have a better understanding of how the offense operates.”
Offense or defense, LaBounty’s focus now is on helping the Bengals in any way he can. Cincinnati’s 2025 regular season begins Sept. 7 at Cleveland.
He’s optimistic about the year ahead, too.
“I’m really excited about the opportunities,” LaBounty said. “When you have the guy we have under center (Joe Burrow), the weapons that he has, and a young, hungry defense — there are tons of potential. The sky is the limit.
“I’m thankful for the journey and excited for what the future holds.”
Established in 1809, Miami University is located in Oxford, Ohio, with regional campuses in Hamilton and Middletown, a learning center in West Chester, and a European study center in Luxembourg. Interested in learning more about the College of Education, Health, and Society? Visit the website for more information.
