CAA Sports has signed basketball coach
Steve Wojciechowski and negotiated his recent deal to lead the men’s program at Marquette.
He will be represented by a team of CAA Sports agents led by Jimmy Sexton. He was previously without representation.
Before being hired by Marquette, Wojciechowski played and then worked under Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski.
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Steve Wojciechowski just took his first head coaching job.
Photo by: AP IMAGES
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“He has been in one of the iconic programs at Duke and we think he has a very bright future as a head coach,” Sexton said in a brief interview, while declining further comment.
Sexton represents numerous college head football coaches, but basketball is a relatively new area for him. He represents Arkansas men’s coach Mike Anderson.
CAA Sports represents Kentucky coach John Calipari and Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.
> DPX SPORTS SIGNS CUBAN PLAYER: Draft Pix Sports Agency founder and MLB agent Charisse Espinosa-Dash has signed Cuban pitcher Odrisamer Despaigne and is close to completing a deal for him to play for the San Diego Padres. Despaigne defected from Cuba last summer while playing for his country’s national team in Europe. He was formerly represented by International Sports Management.
Espinosa-Dash said she does not know why Despaigne left his former agent. “He was seeking other representation. I never really asked [why],” she said.
Attempts to reach his former agent, Jaime Torres, were unsuccessful.
Dash said she has a deal with the Padres, pending a physical and visa. “I am excited. It’s a good deal for him,” she said, without discussing further details.
The Padres declined to comment.
> COCHRAN FIRM SIGNS OREGON RB: Los Angeles-based law firm The Cochran Firm, founded by late attorney Johnnie Cochran, has signed Oregon running back De’Anthony Thomas for representation.
Attorney James Bryant, who was certified to represent players by the NFL Players Association in 2013, will represent Thomas. Thomas was previously represented by Relativity Sports.
Bryant said he didn’t know why Thomas left Relativity, other than he wanted to look at a different agent. Bryant said he met Thomas through mutual acquaintances.
Relativity Sports declined to comment.
Bryant is an entertainment attorney who represents entertainment artists and said he would consider representing additional athletes.
“I want to see how things go with De’Anthony,” he said. “I will revisit that in the future.”
> ROSENHAUS SIGNS NFL VETS: Rosenhaus Sports has signed New York Giants offensive lineman John Jerry and Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Mike James.
Drew Rosenhaus will be the lead agent representing both players, but Michael Katz will assist with Jerry and Robert Bailey will assist on James. Katz and Bailey, longtime Rosenhaus Sports employees, were certified by the NFL Players Association last year to represent players in contract talks.
Jerry was previously represented by BC Sports. James was formerly represented by Kroger, Gardis & Regas. It was not clear why the players changed agents.
Rosenhaus recently negotiated Jerry’s free agency deal with the Giants. Jerry played for the Dolphins last year and was one of the players identified in an NFL harassment investigation of former Dolphin and now 49er offensive lineman Jonathan Martin.
James was drafted by Tampa Bay in the sixth round of the 2013 draft and started three games before injuring an ankle in November.
Liz Mullen can be reached at lmullen@sportsbusinessjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @SBJLizMullen.
