League One side Blackpool announced SAM OYSTON left his role as CEO. The club said in a statement, "The news follows an internal restructure in recent weeks, which has resulted in changes at board level." Oyston "lasted just 28 days in the job" (Blackpool GAZETTE, 2/13). ... WADA European Regional Office & Int'l Federations Relations Dir BENJAMIN COHEN was appointed as director general of the Int'l Testing Agency, the new independent body that will provide doping controls and other services to int'l federations and major event organizations. Cohen previously held roles with FIBA, the UN Office of Sport for Development & Peace and UEFA (IOC). ... MGM hired CHRIS BREARTON as the studio's COO. He will join the company at the end of the month, reporting to MGM Chair & CEO GARY BARBER and working with him to oversee MGM's business operations. Brearton comes to MGM from Latham & Watkins' Entertainment, Sports & Media Practice Group (MGM). ... Veteran marketing exec LIZ GRAY returned to CAA to lead and build the cultural insights practice within CAA Brand Consulting. Gray, who was most recently chief mindset officer at The Female Quotient, will report to JEFF ECCLESTON, who oversees the CAA Brand Consulting Insight & Analytics team (Liz Mullen, Staff Writer)
COACHES/MANAGERS: Brasileiro side Botafogo named former Serie A club Udinese midfielder ALBERTO VALENTIM as its coach for the remainder of '18. The 42-year-old replaces FELIPE CONCEIÇÃO, who was sacked on Saturday after "just seven matches in charge" (XINHUA, 2/14).
