Vantage Management Group, an NFL player representation agency, has launched a coaching and front-office executive division and signed Steelers offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner and former Bills general manager Doug Whaley as clients.
VMG, which was founded in 2011 and represents about 20 players in the NFL, also signed Indianapolis Colts special teams coordinator Raymond “Bubba” Ventrone and Garrick McGee, who has been a college football head coach and was most recently offensive coordinator for the University of Illinois.
At VMG, the three agent founders — Greg Diulus, Mike Simon and Adam Heller — collectively represent all of the clients. They negotiated Fichtner’s new deal with the Steelers and Ventrone’s recent deal with the Colts. The three agents also represented Ventrone when he was a special teams player for the Browns and 49ers.
Heller said the new division is a natural extension of their business. “We have player clients who are transitioning into coaching and saw an opportunity to provide the same service to a new area of clientele,” he said.
Additionally, VMG has signed two new veteran player clients and negotiated their free agent deals. VMG agents negotiated a five-year, $36.5 million Cleveland Browns contract for offensive tackle Chris Hubbard, who last played for the Steelers. VMG also co-represented wide receiver Terrelle Pryor with agent Aaron Avery of IBI Advisory Group and negotiated a one-year, $5.5 million deal for Pryor with the Jets.
ABRAMS SIGNS CURLER: Abrams Artists Agency has signed Matt Hamilton, a member of the Olympic gold medal-winning U.S. men’s curling team, for representation in branding, personal appearances and endorsements as well as guest spots on scripted and unscripted shows and feature films.
Amanda Marzolf with new client Matt Hamiltonabrams artists agency
At Abrams, Hamilton will be represented by a team of agents led by Amanda Marzolf, who has known him for about a decade. Hamilton and Marzolf lived in different rooms in the same big house when they were college students in Wisconsin. As the years went by, they stayed in touch and Hamilton, who still lives in Wisconsin, knew Marzolf had become an agent in Los Angeles.
The day after the team won the gold medal, he called Marzolf from Pyeongchang. “I was at work and he called me on his cellphone,” Marzolf said. “He said, ‘I need an agent. I need help. I am overwhelmed.’”
Abrams will be representing Hamilton, who has appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and has drawn comparisons to the video game character “Super Mario” based on his appearance. Chicago Sports & Entertainment Partners represents the U.S. men’s curling team.
CAA SIGNS SHREVE: CAA Sports has signed Yankees left-handed relief pitcher Chasen Shreve for representation. Shreve, who set Yankees records as a left-handed rookie reliever in 2015 and will be arbitration eligible after this season, will be represented by a team of agents led by Brodie Van Wagenen and Kent Matthes.
MVP SIGNS TWO MLBERS: MVP Sports Group has signed Chicago White Sox third baseman Matt Davidson and Houston Astros right-handed relief pitcher Chris Devenski for representation.
ICM SIGNS FITZ: ICM Partners has signed ESPN broadcaster Jason Fitz. Fitz, currently co-host of ESPN Radio’s “Spain and Fitz” with Sarah Spain, will be represented by ICM agents Lou Oppenheim, Matt Sorger and Will Horowitz. Fitz, a musician who played fiddle for The Band Perry, was previously unrepresented for broadcasting.
Liz Mullen can be reached at lmullen@sportsbusinessjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @SBJLizMullen.
