Executive Transactions

The Finish Line CEO ALAN COHEN is stepping down from the position, effective December 1, to be replaced by President GLENN LYON. A spokesperson said that Cohen's retirement was a "personal decision that he made after consulting with family and friends" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 10/4)....Relay Worldwide promoted COO TIM MAUER to CEO, replacing WALLY HAYWARD. As a founding member of Relay, Mauer was involved in the '01 merger of Starcom Sports Marketing and J.C. Dolan & Associates that formed Relay (Relay)....SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Michael Smith reports the Chick-fil-A Bowl named Coca-Cola VP/Worldwide Sports & Media SCOTT MCCUNE Chair, replacing late former Coca-Cola CMO CHUCK FRUIT. McCune will serve through '09 and oversee the bowl's exec committee and strategic planning committee, which "create the direction for the bowl, the Chick-fil-A College Kickoff, its Alma Mater golf event and the Duck 'N Dodge charity dodgeball tournament" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 10/6 issue).

MEDIA: De Cordell, formerly Raycom Sports' Head of Sales & Marketing, has joined Gillett Evernham Motorsports as Chief Sales & Marketing Officer. Cordell, 45, had spent the past 12 years at Charlotte-based Raycom. He begins at GEM on Oct. 27. (Michael Smith, SportsBusiness Journal)....In Charlotte, Mark Washburn reports WFNZ-AM host Chuck Howard will become "news producer for the NASCAR Media Group this month." Howard "will develop shows and stories for television, radio and Internet outlets as part of a larger effort by NASCAR to connect with local news outlets nation-wide" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 10/3)....Sirius XM Senior VP/Talk & Sports KEVIN STRALEY will leave the position, effective November 15 (FMQB.com, 10/3)....Charlotte-based WFNZ-AM host MARK PACKER has signed a new one-year contract and Operations Manager D.J. STOUT has signed a five-year extension (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 10/4).

EXECS: In this week's SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, Terry Lefton reports the NHL Network has hired former Fox Sports Exec VP/Sports Strategy & Marketing JIM BURNETTE to "take a full-time role as executive in charge of advertising marketplace development" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 10/6 issue)....Rutgers Univ. named Delaware State Univ. AD RICHARD COSTELLO to the newly created position of Deputy AD for Finance & Administration. Costello will be responsible for all day-to-day administrative operations in the department (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 10/3)....The Thunder named Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce PR Manager CHRISTINE BERNEY Dir of Community Relations (Thunder).

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