As reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, CAA Sports has acquired Kauffman Sports Management, a full-service talent representation agency with offices in Los Angeles, CA and Philadelphia, PA.
Kauffman Sports, led by its Founder, Steve Kauffman, specializes in the representation of NBA and NCAA coaches and front office executives. Its talent roster includes names such as: Donnie Walsh (Former NY Knicks and Indiana Pacers President of Basketball Operations), Steve Clifford (Orlando Magic Head Coach), Lionel Hollins (LA Lakers Assistant Coach), Patrick Ewing (Georgetown Head Coach), and Jerry Stackhouse (Vanderbilt Head Coach), among others.
Kauffman Sports’ services consists of contract negotiations, media and marketing strategies, speaking engagements, broadcast opportunities, legal consulting, and financial services among others.
The agency’s founder, Steve Kauffman, is a veteran of the talent representation agency, having represented coaches and executive since at least 2008 beginning with Donnie Walsh. Kaufman’s roots run deep in basketball, as he was also a former Commissioner of the Continental Basketball Association – a former minor league basketball league that folded in 2009. Kauffman was the Commissioner from 1975-1978. Kaufman is also an attorney and a CPA.
As CAA continues to expand its already popular line-up of basketball talent, it will retain Kaufman Sports executive Spencer Breecker, the Managing Partner of Kauffman Sports, to help transition the agency’s existing and new clients. Breecker joined Kauffman sports in 2010 after working for AEG in Los Angeles; Breecker also worked for the San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys. Kauffman oversaw the strategic planning and career management of many of Kauffman’s clients and now will do so in an advisory role alongside veteran CAA agent, Jimmie Sexton. Breecker was instrumental in Kauffman Sports’ transition from an athlete-based representation agency to that of coaches and executives.
The move is a strong one for CAA as it looks to diversify its portfolio of clients, after having acquired London-based Base Soccer Agency earlier this year.