The Montag Group has signed Fox Sports NFL analyst
David Diehl and ESPN play-by-play announcer
Dave Pasch for representation, the first new signings for the agency.
The firm’s founder, Sandy Montag, will represent Diehl and Pasch. Diehl was formerly represented by Playbook Inc. and Pasch by Vision Sports.
Montag left WME-IMG on Oct. 1 after working his entire career, about 30 years, at IMG, the last two years part time. He launched The Montag Group in 2014 as a sports media rights and content consulting business while continuing to represent clients exclusively at WME-IMG.
When he left WME-IMG early this month, he took the client representation business with him. Montag represents more than 50 broadcasters and coaches.
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Fox Sports NFL analyst David Diehl (left) and ESPN play-by-play announcer Dave Pasch will be represented by Sandy Montag.
Photo by: FOX SPORTS; ESPN
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Diehl is a former New York Giants offensive lineman and works for Sirius XM and Fox. Montag knows Diehl through former New York Giants coach
Tom Coughlin, a longtime client and friend.
“There are very few offensive linemen that really get into the broadcasting business,” Montag said. “I represent Jeff Saturday, who’s another one, but it’s kind of rare to find offensive linemen who are a really good communicator like David, and we think he has great potential in the broadcasting business.”
Diehl is working on regional games, but Montag sees him moving into a more national role in the future.
Pasch is a play-by-play announcer who calls multiple sports for ESPN, including the NBA and college football. He “is really one of the up-and-coming play-by-play people in the business,” Montag said.
The Montag Group also has made five new hires, part of moving Montag’s talent representation business to the company.
Jill Driban has been hired to work in client management, Sue Lipton in talent representation, Michael Schenker in business development and talent marketing, Kristen Taylor in business development and Kate Ruben as executive assistant to Montag. Driban, Lipton and Ruben came with Montag from WME-IMG. Schenker came from RSE Ventures, and Taylor was most recently with Nike.
> REP 1 SIGNS DIAZ: Rep 1 Baseball has signed Seattle Mariners pitcher Edwin Diaz for representation.
Diaz will be represented by agents Edwin Rodriguez and Paul Kinzer. He had been represented by the former Relativity Baseball.
Diaz, 22, set records this past season, his first year in the majors. He recorded 50 strikeouts in 25 1/2 innings, the fastest pitcher to get to 50 K’s in almost 100 years.
He is returning to Rodriguez and Kinzer, who originally represented him when he was drafted in the third round of the 2012 draft.
“He was a starting pitcher and they switched him to closer and he really took to it,” Kinzer said. “He was one of the top relievers this year.”
Rep 1 was founded as a football representation firm by agents and cousins Bruce and Ryan Tollner, but earlier this year it added a baseball division headed by Kinzer. The division represents about 20 major leaguers, including Edwin Encarnacion, Toronto Blue Jays first baseman and designated hitter, who is expected to be a top free agent this winter.
> A BULLDOG FOR CAA SPORTS: CAA Sports has signed Mississippi State football coach Dan Mullen for representation in all areas.
CAA Football co-head Jimmy Sexton will lead the team of agents representing Mullen. He was formerly represented by Evolution Group.
> HYDER SELECTS SELECT: Select Sports Group has signed Detroit Lions defensive end Kerry Hyder.
Agents Erik Burkhardt and Sean Kiernan will represent Hyder. He was formerly represented by EAS Football.
Liz Mullen can by reached at lmullen@sportsbusinessjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @SBJLizMullen.
