Mr.Bottomtooth
07-16-2008, 07:33 AM
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA071608.2E.SpursExecs.5c353c1d.html
Pop for president: Spurs coach and two promoted to president
Web Posted: 07/16/2008 01:10 AM CDT
By Travis E. Poling
[email protected]
Spurs Sports & Entertainment promoted three executives to the position of president Tuesday to “create some new energy” and possibly new sports franchises, Spurs Chairman and CEO Peter Holt said.
Four-time NBA championship coach Greg Popovich, general manager R.C. Buford and business chief Rick Pych all received new titles and additional duties.
Popovich will add the title of president of Spurs basketball. Pych, who oversaw the building of the AT&T Center, will become president of business operations. And Buford will have the additional title of president of sports franchises.
The move comes a day after a shakeup in the front office with the release of the vice presidents of human resources and marketing as part of an off-season reorganization.
Russ Bookbinder, longtime Spurs executive vice president, left a month ago, and this week was followed by 26-year Spurs marketing veteran Bruce Guthrie and head of human resources Paula Winslow in what Spurs spokesman Leo Gomez called “an ongoing reorganization” of the front office.
Two others were promoted Tuesday to oversee corporate marketing and human resources.
Lawrence Payne, who has been with the Spurs since the late 1970s, is now executive vice president of corporate partnerships and broadcasting. And Lori Warren will be senior vice president of finance and corporate administration, a position that includes oversight of human resources.
The new presidents have helped lead the organization to “immeasurable success,” Holt said. “I’m glad to give these titles to these individuals because they’ve earned them.”
He said the departure of Bookbinder, Guthrie and Winslow did not take anything away from their accomplishments, but “this is driven by my looking to the future and figuring out what we need to do. I don’t like the status quo.”
Pych, Popovich and Buford have been asked to further examine their areas of the operation, and more personnel changes could come later this summer.
Holt said he wants to expand business opportunities in the San Antonio-Austin corridor, including the possible addition of sports franchises. Spurs Sports & Entertainment owns the NBA Spurs, WNBA Silver Stars, NBA development team Austin Toros, and hockey team San Antonio Rampage.
Arena football is one possibility. “We’ll look at it, certainly,” Holt said. “I don’t want to stop at just the sports we have.”
Pop for president: Spurs coach and two promoted to president
Web Posted: 07/16/2008 01:10 AM CDT
By Travis E. Poling
[email protected]
Spurs Sports & Entertainment promoted three executives to the position of president Tuesday to “create some new energy” and possibly new sports franchises, Spurs Chairman and CEO Peter Holt said.
Four-time NBA championship coach Greg Popovich, general manager R.C. Buford and business chief Rick Pych all received new titles and additional duties.
Popovich will add the title of president of Spurs basketball. Pych, who oversaw the building of the AT&T Center, will become president of business operations. And Buford will have the additional title of president of sports franchises.
The move comes a day after a shakeup in the front office with the release of the vice presidents of human resources and marketing as part of an off-season reorganization.
Russ Bookbinder, longtime Spurs executive vice president, left a month ago, and this week was followed by 26-year Spurs marketing veteran Bruce Guthrie and head of human resources Paula Winslow in what Spurs spokesman Leo Gomez called “an ongoing reorganization” of the front office.
Two others were promoted Tuesday to oversee corporate marketing and human resources.
Lawrence Payne, who has been with the Spurs since the late 1970s, is now executive vice president of corporate partnerships and broadcasting. And Lori Warren will be senior vice president of finance and corporate administration, a position that includes oversight of human resources.
The new presidents have helped lead the organization to “immeasurable success,” Holt said. “I’m glad to give these titles to these individuals because they’ve earned them.”
He said the departure of Bookbinder, Guthrie and Winslow did not take anything away from their accomplishments, but “this is driven by my looking to the future and figuring out what we need to do. I don’t like the status quo.”
Pych, Popovich and Buford have been asked to further examine their areas of the operation, and more personnel changes could come later this summer.
Holt said he wants to expand business opportunities in the San Antonio-Austin corridor, including the possible addition of sports franchises. Spurs Sports & Entertainment owns the NBA Spurs, WNBA Silver Stars, NBA development team Austin Toros, and hockey team San Antonio Rampage.
Arena football is one possibility. “We’ll look at it, certainly,” Holt said. “I don’t want to stop at just the sports we have.”