Arizona AD GREG BYRNE is taking over the same position at Alabama and is "expected to be replaced" on an interim basis by Arizona Senior Associate AD ERIKA BARNES. Byrne makes about $700,000 per year at Arizona. He recently "received a $500,000 bonus" for staying at Arizona through '16. Byrnes' "use of Twitter and email -- his 'Wildcat Wednesdays' dispatches are sent to UA fans weekly -- put him ahead of the times in the older, often-stodgy world of athletic directors." Arizona could "turn to a pair of familiar faces to replace Byrne." TCU AD CHRIS DEL CONTE and USF AD MARK HARLAN both "rose trough the ranks" under former Arizona AD JIM LIVENGOOD (ARIZONA DAILY STAR, 1/16).
EXECS: L.A.-based law firm O'Melveny & Myers named DLA Piper corporate and finance partner CHARLES BAKER Partner and Chair for its sports industry group. During Baker's 6 1/2 years at DLA Piper he "worked to establish the firm among the elite of sports law practices." Baker will based in N.Y. (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 1/16 issue)....WME-IMG named Intersport Senior VP/Sponsorship & Event Marketing DAN JONES Senior VP/Global Partnerships. Meanwhile, Premier Partnerships promoted JASON MILLER to Exec VP. Miller "signed a long-term agreement with the agency" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 1/16 issue)....Dover Int'l Speedway promoted GARY CAMP to Assistant VP/Marketing & Communications and ROB LOFLAND to Assistant VP/Business Development (Dover)....Georgia Tech named JEFF KEISLER Associate AD/Annual Giving & Engagement for the Alexander-Tharpe Fund. Keisler will be responsible for “expanding the athletic association’s donor base and developing idea and procedures to create new revenue sources.” Keisler worked with GT AD TODD STANSBURY at UCF and then at Oregon State, where Stansbury served as AD “before his hire at Tech in September of last year” (AJC.com, 1/13)....Tulane named Univ. of Wisconsin Dir of Development GARRETT BROOM Assistant AD/Development (Tulane)....Recently retired Cubs C DAVID ROSS will stay on with the club as a special assistant to baseball operations (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 1/14).
