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Labor and Agents

Kauffman adds Stackhouse to coaching representation roster

K auffman Sports Management, which specializes in representing basketball coaches and management, has signed six new clients, including former NBA player-turned-coach Jerry Stackhouse.

Kauffman Sports negotiated Stackhouse’s deal to become an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors. The Los Angeles-based agency also signed former NBA player Earl Watson and negotiated his deal to become an assistant coach of the Phoenix Suns.

The other clients signed are former NBA player and head coach Terry Porter, Charlotte Hornets assistant coach Stephen Silas, Utah Jazz assistant coach Johnnie Bryant and Casey Hill, head coach of the D-League champion Santa Cruz Warriors.

Jerry Stackhouse gives instruction to Team USA members.
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
Agency founder and President Steve Kauffman and managing partner Spencer Breecker will represent the clients.
Porter and Silas were formerly represented by CSE for coaching work.

“We wish Stephen and Terry all the best in their new endeavors,” CSE said in an email to SportsBusiness Journal.
The other four clients were previously without representation.

With the new clients, Kauffman Sports Management now represents more than 60 clients. Kauffman founded the firm in 1979 as a player rep firm, but in 2008 he stopped representing players and started representing coaches.

The agency also represents front-office personnel and broadcasters, but most of the clients are coaches.

Breecker noted that each of the six new clients brings with him different experience and potential.

“We are excited to have all different types of coaches — recently retired players that have turned coaches, former head coaches, young up-and-comers, D-League coaches — that’s the biggest thing for me,” Breecker said.

As far as the overall NBA coaching representation business, this year has been slower due to not as much turnover as in recent years. Five NBA teams let go of their head coach, compared to an average of 6.5 over the previous 10 years.

“When you have less staff changes, you don’t get a lot of movement,” Kauffman said.

> HYDE TO REP NORMAN AT WASSERMAN: Wasserman Media Group’s Barry Hyde, an executive vice president in the firm’s golf division, will serve as the lead agent for Greg Norman and the pursuit for any new endorsements for the World Golf Hall of Fame member. Norman became a client of the agency last week.

NORMAN
Wasserman Media Group announced it acquired the Greg Norman Production Co., the golfer’s event management business. Additionally, the agency will represent Norman as a client and work with his longtime manager, Bart Collins, president of Great White Shark Enterprises, on endorsements and other commercial deals for the golfer.

Hyde joined Wasserman in 2012 from the U.S. Golf Association, where he was CMO. He reports to John Mascatello, Wasserman executive vice president and managing director of golf.

The Greg Norman Production Co. was part of Great White Shark Enterprises, which Norman retains control of. That company has many lines of businesses, including wine, eyewear and other consumer items with the Great White Shark logo.

But Collins said last week that Norman hopes Wasserman Media Group can expand his personal endorsement portfolio on a selective basis.

“A big part of our business is actually licensing our own brand,” Collins said. “That’s a $150 million business. But, obviously, if it’s a product or service that we are not going to manufacture or create using our own brand, then we will be open to an endorsement on a selective basis.”

Norman now counts Omega Watches, Dow Chemical and Cobra Golf among his endorsements.

Collins said that Norman is open to endorsements in a number of categories, including technology, financial services and automotive. Norman had been a spokesman for Range Rover, which was a good fit with the golfer’s personality, Collins said. But that deal ended after the car brand was sold to Tata Motors.

Liz Mullen can be reached at lmullen@sportsbusinessjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at @SBJLizMullen.

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