PRIORITY SPORTS - Key Persons
Alex Shaw serves as Marketing Coordinator with a focus on developing brand partnerships to amplify clients' passions and interests. Her role at Priority is to drive revenue and build brands, for both our collegiate NIL and professional athletes across all sports.
Before coming to Priority Sports, Alex worked in the athletic department at the University of Wisconsin facilitating community relations opportunities for student-athletes. She was an intern with Wasserman, Boardroom as well as Priority Sports working with basketball and football talent at both the collegiate and agency level.
A native of Milwaukee, WI, Alex received a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin. She currently resides in Lincoln Park.
Chase Lanier joined Priority Sports in May 2021 and is now a Manager of Athlete Marketing. She had previously interned with Priority in the summer of 2018. She assists the marketing department on various brand and endorsement deals for clients, as well fosters relationships with clients to amplify their passions and interests. Her experience with activating brand partnerships and building brand/agency connections is a great asset to Priority.
Prior to joining Priority Sports, Chase worked for Intersport as a sponsorship consultant across various brands, primarily on the Rocket Mortgage account.
Chase grew up in Lafayette, California and received a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She currently resides in Lincoln Park, Chicago.
Chris Singletary joined Priority Sports in February 2023 as our Director of Client Development. He is an integral part of both our Football Division as well as our Coaching, Broadcasting, and Front Office Division. His 20-plus years in the agency world and college athletics have established Chris as an innovator and truly respected leader in the business of sports. Chris manages the day-to-day representation and professional development of our NFL and coaching clients.
A letterman at Michigan (1996-98), Singletary graduated in May 1999 with a degree in sports management and communications. He played in four bowl games during his career, including an appearance in the 1998 Rose Bowl, where Michigan earned a national championship for the '97 season.
Following graduation, Singletary was hired by the International Management Group (IMG). He worked for IMG for seven-plus years (1999-2006) as a licensed NFL agent, before returning to his alma mater. During his seven-year stint, Singletary facilitated recruiting efforts, assisted in contract negotiations, coordinated IMG's training facility in Florida, and assisted in representing NFL stars such as LaDanian Tomlinson, Kevin Williams, Byron Leftwich, Thomas Jones, Larry Foote, Roy Williams, Steve Hutchinson, and others.
Back at Michigan from 2006-2015, Singletary led the recruiting charge for 43 future NFL players, four top-10 recruiting classes and six classes in the top 20. Singletary recruited current NFL players Denard Robinson, Jabrill Peppers, Taylor Lewan, Taco Charlton, Jourdan Lewis, Jake Butt, Devin Funchess, Chris Wormley, and several others. His time with the Wolverines included three seasons on Rodriguez's staff (2008-10), and he worked under three other head coaches: Lloyd Carr, Brady Hoke, and Jim Harbaugh.
He then joined Rodriguez's University of Arizona staff in January of 2016 when he was hired as the director of recruiting. In his role, Singletary coordinated all aspects of the program's recruiting efforts, including the organization of recruiting trips for coaches, prospect evaluation process, and the planning for prospects visits to campus.
Chris joined Element Sports (since acquired by Priority Sports) in February of 2020 as the Director of Client Development and Coaches Agent. During his time working in the Coaching Division, he worked with clients in career opportunities, contract negotiations and day-to-day operations. There was growth with regards to the addition of coaching clients both on the collegiate and pro levels over two years that he worked with Element.
Dakota Smith joined the Priority Sports family in January of 2024 as our Diversity Fellow. Dakota was born and raised in Inglewood, California and aspires to be an agent while working extensively in athlete marketing. Dakota works across all departments, specifically helping the marketing department amplify athletes' personal brands and aligning them with other brands and properties.
Before joining Priority, Dakota played Division 1 football for the University of South Dakota where he graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in business management and a minor in sports media and marketing in 2021. In the fall of 2023, Dakota graduated with his Master's of Business Administration from Minnesota State Mankato University where he also played Division II football and was an All-Conference linebacker. Dakota most recently interned with Priority in the summer of 2023, and has also interned with REP 1 Sports, Grady Sports Agency, and 3 Strand Sports and Entertainment.
Jack Gallagher joined Priority Sports in June of 2023 as a Manager of Athlete Marketing. As a member of the marketing team, Jack utilizes his understanding of our clients' goals and personal interests to identify, create, and develop marketing opportunities for them. He prides himself on being able to build unique activations that highlight the clients' personalities, backgrounds, and interests.
Prior to joining Priority Sports, Jack worked as the first-ever Director of NIL Engagement for Purdue Athletics, overseeing the Boilermakers' institutional name, image, and likeness initiatives, and working with business prospects and student-athletes on NIL activities. He also oversaw the creation of Ohio University's NIL policy and program following the enactment of the NCAA's new NIL policy on July 1, 2021.
A native of Hudson, Wisconsin, Jack received a Bachelor of Sport Management degree from the University of Minnesota and Master's degrees in Business Administration and Sports Administration from Ohio University.
Outside of work, Gallagher is a member of 4AAPI, an alliance for Asian American & Pacific Islanders working in sports.
Jack currently resides in Midtown Atlanta.
James Wang joined Priority Sports in the summer of 2021 and currently serves as the Vice President of Athlete Marketing. His primary role is to find interesting brand partnerships and drive off-court revenue for our clients through traditional endorsements, appearances, and/or social media.
Prior to joining us, James spent almost 3 years at WME selling, negotiating, and building brand partnership portfolios for a stable of athletes, broadcasters, and coaches across all major sports. James also played basketball professionally in China and Taiwan for 4 years. A native of Taiwan and Australia, James graduated from Williams College with a degree in Psychology and Chinese. James currently resides in Chicago with his wife, Danielle, and daughter, Wren.
Jenna Coenen joined Priority Sports in April of 2019 and is now our Director of Athlete Marketing. Her primary roles include building relationships with clients while also coordinating logistics for appearances. In addition, Jenna assists the marketing department with endorsement deals for our NBA and NFL clients. Jenna uses her client services expertise and knowledge as a former athlete to always provide our clients and partners with outstanding service.
Prior to joining Priority, Jenna worked for the Milwaukee Bucks in their Marketing & Business Development departments and worked at The Marketing Arm, primarily focused on the AT&T account, consulting on their sports partnership portfolio.
A native of Wisconsin, Jenna played two years of collegiate basketball at Edgewood College, before transferring and graduating from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. She currently resides in the Old Town area of Chicago.
Julie Magrane has worked in the sports marketing industry for over 27 years. Her efforts over 22+ years at Priority Sports have resulted in countless national, regional and local endorsement opportunities for our clients. She has also cultivated the speaking careers of many of our current and retired clients.
Julie is the lead negotiator on some of our clients' broadcasting deals and has worked with all the major networks. She has secured unique entertainment opportunities for many of our clients - from acting roles in major motion pictures to lead and cameo roles on hit network and cable TV shows. Equally important, Julie plays a role in our players' efforts to give back to their communities through charitable programs.
Before joining Priority Sports, Julie climbed the ranks of the South Bend Silver Hawks minor league baseball organization, working her way up to Assistant General Manager and managing everything from team marketing to game day operations. Julie attended Purdue University and studied Sports Marketing. She resides in Chicago, Illinois.
Kenny has been in the business for over 30 years and a partner at Priority Sports for over 24 years.
He is one of the most respected veteran advisors in the game and has negotiated hundreds of contracts. In fact, Kenny has one of the best track records of helping his clients maximize their draft stock and get drafted higher than expected. Additionally, Kenny's NFL relationships are second to none. ESPN mentioned in an article that "Zuckerman is a former college football player and a longtime agent with deep ties and a fat rolodex."
Kenny has a high football IQ and a great business acumen that gives his clients the edge over their competition and prepares them to enter the National Football League. Kenny loves working with quality people and supportive families who appreciate how much time, effort and care he puts into their careers.
He graduated from the University of Arizona, where he played wide receiver for the Wildcats. He is the founder of a non-profit youth tackle football organization. Kenny and his wife, Shani, live in Westlake Village, California with their son, Reggie, and daughter, Mickie.
Kieran Piller joined Priority Sports in November 2014. An NBPA certified player-agent, Kieran is involved in all aspects of client representation, including player evaluation, recruiting, NBA Draft preparation, and NBA free agency.
Kieran runs Priority Sports' NBA Pre-Draft Program. In the last two years, Priority has managed the pre-Draft process for two lottery picks, six first round picks, four second round picks, and 13 players who have signed guaranteed contracts with NBA teams in their rookie seasons. In NBA free agency, Kieran has capitalized on his legal and basketball background, his expertise in advanced statistical metrics, and his thorough knowledge of the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement to assist in the negotiation of over $1.13 BILLION in free agent NBA contracts for Priority Sports clients in the last three years alone.
Prior to joining Priority, Kieran worked as an attorney at Bond, Schoeneck, & King, where he focused his practice on the representation of colleges and universities, coaches, and student-athletes in NCAA-related matters. Kieran played basketball at the University of Notre Dame, where he graduated with a degree in American Studies and Economics in 2007. He graduated from Notre Dame Law School in 2010, and was subsequently admitted to the New York State Bar.
Kyle McAlarney joined the Priority Sports Basketball Department in July 2020. He oversees Priority Sports' Player Development, which includes in depth film breakdowns throughout the season, individualized workouts in Chicago during the off season, as well as working with players prior to the NBA Draft. He draws upon his vast experience as a player and coach to bridge the gap between building a player's career and improving their performance on the basketball court.
An NBPA certified agent, Kyle is also involved in all aspects of client representation, including player evaluation, recruiting, NBA Draft prep, and NBA free agency.
Kyle was a four-year starter at the University of Notre Dame from 2005-2009, where he was first team All-Big East in his junior season. He went on to have a nine-year professional career that spanned the globe. He played in the NBA D League, China, Israel, Greece, and France.
Kyle and his wife Meghan have three children, James, Maddie, and Molly.
Job Titles:
- in 2015 As the Chief Financial Officer
Marc Samson joined Priority Sports in 2015 as the Chief Financial Officer. In this role, he focuses on finance and operations, but also works to support the various needs of our athletes. Prior to joining Priority Sports, he spent 6 years at Dyson as Controller & Director of Financial Reporting where he focused on financial reporting, budgetary review and other various sales & marketing analysis. Marc has 20+ years of experience in finance, both as a consultant and in various corporate finance roles.
Marc has a BS in Business from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and is a certified public accountant (CPA).
He currently resides in Lincolnshire, Illinois with his wife and two children.
Michael Murray joined Priority Sports in January of 2020 after graduating from Xavier University with a degree in Sport Management. Michael assists our Agents and Clients with video and analytics work in scouting and recruiting efforts.
Prior to joining Priority Sports, Michael worked for the Men's Basketball Program at Xavier.
He is a native of Woodstock, Illinois and currently resides in Chicago.
Michael Perrett and his team at Element Sports Group were acquired by Priority Sports & Entertainment in September of 2022. He serves as Priority Sports' President of Football Operations and leads the firm's football division.
Throughout his career, Michael has been blessed to work with and represent some of the most notable players to have impacted the game on and off the field. He's considered a leader and an innovator in representing NFL players. Michael has been an NFLPA Certified Contract Advisor since 2007.
Michael graduated from the University of Georgia in 2000 and immediately kicked off his career at one of the world's largest sports management and marketing agencies. Early in his career, Michael saw immediate success closing marketing deals for the likes of Hall of Famers, NFL MVPs, Super Bowl MVPs, and Pro Bowlers.
After working in the industry for almost 15 years, Michael founded his own firm in Element Sports in 2014. Under Michael's leadership, Element became a leading and premiere agency that focused on a "family-style" approach, which caught Mark Bartelstein and Priority Sports' attention.
Michael was born outside of Chicago, IL and grew up in San Diego, CA before his family moved to Atlanta, GA. Michael is married to his college sweetheart, Jenifer. They have a very active life in the Atlanta area with their three children Noah, Lucas, and Hallie.
Morgan Beagle joined Priority Sports in the fall of 2022 as the Manager of Operations and Client Relations. She came over with Michael Perrett and Element Sports as part of Priority's acquisition.
She assists with football clients' day-to-day needs both professionally and personally and handles organizing, planning, and executing client community relations. She also helps run the pre-draft process for our NFL clients, assisting with the transition from the collegiate to the professional level. Additionally, Morgan oversees the operational and administrative duties for the Priority Sports Atlanta office.
Prior to joining Element and Priority, Morgan worked in football recruiting at the University of South Carolina and the University of Mississippi. In addition to her in-office work, Morgan has also worked with the Heisman Trophy Trust and the George Rogers Foundation of the Carolinas.
Morgan graduated from the University of South Carolina, where she was a member of the Kappa Delta sorority. She attended graduate school at the University of Mississippi. She currently lives in the metro Atlanta, GA area.
Phillip King joined Priority Sports in March 2024 as a Marketing Coordinator. His focus is on creating strategic off-the-field and off-the-court opportunities for our clients.
Before coming to Priority, Phillip was an NIL Account Manager at Burchtree Sports, where he helped develop and execute NIL partnerships on behalf of many different brands. His services included contract negotiations, managing social media, event appearances, and TV ad campaigns.
A native of Bloomington, IN, Phillip received a bachelor's degree in finance from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. He currently resides in Buckhead, GA
Reggie Brown has been with Priority Sports for 23 years. An NBPA-certified player-agent, Reggie's involvement in negotiations benefits from his many relationships throughout the NBA. Reggie also excels in talent evaluation and the NBA pre-draft process. He has earned a reputation for identifying future NBA players and recruiting potential Priority Sports clients. Reggie coached NCAA college basketball for six years, and is extremely talented in player development at all positions. He works individually with our players to strengthen their overall basketball skills.
Reggie graduated from Mississippi Valley State with a Bachelor's degree in physical education and secondary education. Reggie also earned a Master's degree in pedagogy from South Dakota State University.
He resides in Chicago, Illinois.
As a partner, Rick Smith has played an integral role in the development of Priority Sports & Entertainment. Rick is involved in all aspects of client representation and business operations. Rick brings a unique analytical perspective to all areas of client representation. As an attorney, Rick also reviews the legal issues inherent in all team, endorsement and personal contracts.
After graduating from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor's Degree in Economics, Rick received his Law Degree from Northwestern University.
He and his wife Julie reside in Highland Park, Illinois, with their two children, Emily and Jared.
Ross Aroyo joined Priority Sports in September of 2015 after graduating from the University of Maryland where he majored in Marketing and Accounting. Ross collaborates with our Agents and Clients to provide video and graphics support across many different digital platforms and specializes in using film for scouting, marketing and recruiting efforts.
Prior to joining Priority Sports, Ross worked for the University of Maryland Men's Basketball program as a Video Manager and then served as Director of Basketball Operations for a highly successful Under Armour Grassroots Basketball program out of New Jersey.
Ross currently resides in the Lakeview area of Chicago.
Job Titles:
- Priority Sports's Chief Operations Officer and Vice President of Client Services
Tabitha Brinkerhoff is Priority Sports'S Chief Operations Officer and Vice President of Client Services. She's been with Priority since 2002 where her main focus is on the day-to-day personal and professional needs of the clients. Tabitha manages all the logistics of pre-draft training, and following the draft also helps our clients with getting settled in their new city. She will assist with all requests from travel to tickets to relocation to booking reservations and gift purchasing. Tabitha helps with the transition from college sports to professional sports, assisting with the entire process every step of the way. She has a wide range of duties and will assist with any task - big or small - ensuring that our clients can put all of their efforts and energy into their playing careers.
Prior to joining Priority Sports, Tabitha lived in New York where she worked at Goldman Sachs and pursued a career in theatre. She received a Bachelor's degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara.
She currently resides in Chicago, Illinois.
Torrian Jones joined the Priority Sports Basketball Department in April of 2023. He assists Kyle McAlarney in running the Player Development Program, which includes in depth film breakdowns throughout the season, individualized workouts in Chicago during the off-season, as well as working with players prior to the NBA Draft.
He joins the company after a seven-year stint as an assistant coach for the University of Delaware Men's Basketball Program from 2016-2023. While on staff, Torrian played a key role in leading the Blue Hens to only its 6th CAA Championship title in 2022. It marked the Blue Hens' first conference crown since the 2014 season.
In his time in Newark, Torrian recruited and/or developed multiple all-conference players including three Rookies of the Year, a conference tournament MOP, five international pros, and Delaware's first-ever NBA player, Nate Darling.
Jones arrived in Newark after spending the previous two years as an academic counselor at the University of Notre Dame while also serving as the color commentator for the men's basketball broadcasts.
Jones was a four-year member of the Irish men's basketball team from 2000-04. A two-year starter, who also served as a team captain during junior and senior seasons, was a critical rotation player for the 2003 team that advanced to the Sweet 16.
A graduate of the Notre Dame Mendoza School of Business in 2004, Jones continued his playing career with the West Chester Wildfire of the USBL, the Florida Flame of the NBA Development League, and the Albany Patroons of the USBL from 2005-06.
Torrian and his wife, Alyssa, have a son named Austin and reside in Arlington Heights, IL.
Zach Rosen joined Priority Sports in June 2021 as a Communications Coordinator. He now leads Priority's communications department as the Director of Communications, working with the marketing team and our clients on all media efforts. Zach utilizes his experience in social media, content, and public relations to help our clients develop and boost their personal brands.
Prior to joining Priority Sports, Zach interned with the Washington Nationals and Milwaukee Brewers before working for the Washington Wizards for five years. In Washington, he worked on the Wizards' social and digital marketing team, managing the team's social accounts and leading the Wizards' basketball and marketing content. Zach grew up in Mequon, Wisconsin and received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
He currently resides in downtown Chicago.
Before joining Priority Sports in June of 2012, Zachary Kurtin worked for six seasons in the Basketball Operations Department at the New Jersey Nets, from 2003 through 2009. Leveraged by his knowledge of the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement, Kurtin was involved in the team's Draft preparation, trade evaluation, player contract negotiation and salary cap management, helping guide the Nets to four consecutive playoff appearances during his tenure. He also served as the Nets' Player Development representative, a role which sought to educate players on their decision-making processes and lifestyle choices away from the basketball court.