Menu
People and Pop Culture

Plugged In: Kelly Wolf, Octagon

Kelly Wolf answered an ad in The Washington Post in 1985 for an administrative assistant with Advantage, the predecessor firm to Octagon. Her new boss was Tom Ross, the former head of men’s tennis for the group. From those humble beginnings, Wolf today helps oversee tennis athlete representation at the firm, and she also handles off-track marketing for NASCAR star Jimmie Johnson as well as repping former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher for TV and marketing. A Washington, D.C.-area native, Wolf is looking forward to the start of the U.S. Open this week, with fingers crossed for her newer, younger clients — but she concedes it is not the same as years past, when Octagon almost always had a player competing the final weekend of the event.

What has evolved — or some may say devolved — is that the immediacy of expectations has overcome the more thoughtful, strategic approach in too many instances, and that has altered the dynamic as a long-term approach, and execution is what is needed to develop a truly strong and long-lasting brand.


Photo by: MARIE GUIDRY / OCTAGON
On the difference of repping a NASCAR driver and a tennis player: You are dealing with more people who are adults in NASCAR than in tennis. It is a different dynamic. It doesn’t mean there aren’t moments of drama, but it is different.

On Octagon’s different client base: We are a little particular about who we want to sign and making sure we kind of keep things honest. We don’t want to compromise how we do business. … Part of the reason I was interested in expanding my horizons a little bit is player representation has changed. Don’t get me wrong: The majority of our clients are quite loyal. In certain instances, people’s perceptions of what should be versus what the reality is in sports has changed.

On competition, and paying guarantees: Octagon doesn’t pay guarantees. I don’t scream we are the people wearing the white hats … but I don’t know that we know to do business any other way. … We do own 17 tournament sanctions around the world, and that was the foresight [Octagon President] Phil [de Picciotto] put into this eons ago. We are so strong and so knowledgeable across all facets of the sport.

Her U.S. Open storylines to watch: I would say it’s the next generation, changing of the guard. (She cites as examples young Octagon clients Americans Stefan Kozlov and Mitchell Krueger.) … [Octagon client] David Goffin, who has been playing so well, could be the wild card of the U.S. Open. … If it is going to be on the women’s side, [Octagon client] Belinda Bencic.

— Daniel Kaplan

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2015/08/31/People-and-Pop-Culture/Plugged-In.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2015/08/31/People-and-Pop-Culture/Plugged-In.aspx

CLOSE