Instructional Team

Role: Adjunct Professor
Title: Senior VP Marketing, OKC Thunder
Area of Interest: Sports Marketing

Brian Byrnes joined the Thunder organization in April 2005, and developed and executed the strategic sales and marketing efforts to launch business operations in Oklahoma City in 2008. Byrnes' current responsibilities include oversight of ticket sales, retention and operations; luxury suite sales and hospitality; marketing and communications strategies such as brand management, advertising, promotions, graphic design, digital media, e-commerce and event presentation. Byrnes continues to foster programming that extends the reach of the Thunder brand to fans throughout the region. Initiatives such as Thunder Alley and the Kia Rewards Zone make the game-day experience accessible to all Thunder fans visiting Chesapeake Energy Arena. Previously, Byrnes served as executive vice president of business operations for the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes, guiding the organization through a rebranding that included a new corporate identity, logos and team uniforms. Prior to joining the Coyotes, Byrnes built nearly 10 years of experience with the NHL's Dallas Stars and MLB's Texas Rangers.

Role: Adjunct Professor
Area of Interest: Sports Law

Professor Brown earned his JD at the University of Toledo. Most recently he was Assistant Director of Student Services at the Pennsylvania State University Law School and an adjunct professor of law. Prior to joining Penn State Law, he practiced at Cook County Public Guardian's Office and in solo practice. He is a former partner at Hicks & Brown Sports Agency, where he represented athletes in the NFL, FIBA, NBA, and WNBA.

Role: Adjunct Professor
Title: Associate Professor of Management
Area of Interest: Sports marketing, partnerships and sales

Sean Daly, Ph.D. comes with over 20 years of experience in sport leadership, sport event and venue operations and collegiate athletic administration and coaching. His research consists of investigating employee and leadership behavior in the sport workplace as well as teaching practices in sport business. In his current role Daly teaches courses related to analytics, finance and economics while also responsible for managing the program brand, external relationships, adjunct faculty and student internships.

Role: Adjunct Professor
Title: Partnership Strategy Analyst at the Oklahoma City Thunder
Area of Interest: Sports marketing, partnerships and sales

Professor Eidam is an accomplished corporate partnerships expert with 6 years of experience in both activation and sales disciplines across multiple industries. A collaborative, digital-savvy sports business professional that seeks out leadership and personal growth opportunities even when not specifically assigned to do so. A student of sports business, daily searching out best practices in marketing strategies, game day activations, and in-market retail promotions. He holds a MBA from the University Oregon where he focused on Sports Marketing.

Role: Affiliate Faculty
Title: Assistant Professor, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Area of Interest: Intercollegiate athletics, "pay for play"

Gerald Gurney, Ph.D., was in charge of OU's student life center and academic services, from 1993-2011. He developed OU's NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills program, a recipient of the national Program of Excellence Award. He now serves as an Assistant Professor in the department of adult and higher education. Gurney graduated cum laude from The Ohio State University in 1973 with a degree in English education. He earned his master's in student personnel work and counseling in 1976 from Ohio State and then received his Ph.D. from Iowa State University in higher education administration in 1980. He began his career in athletics as an academic counselor at Iowa State. He has served on NCAA Certification teams which conduct peer reviews of institutional adherence to operating principles for governance, equity and academic integrity since 1993. He has been a member of the editorial review board for the International Journal of Sport Management since 1999.

Role: Adjunct Professor
Title: Executive Director of Community Development, OKC Energy FC
Area of Interest: Introduction to the business of sports

Prior to joining Energy FC , Jason Hawkins was vice-president, special projects & lean manager for First Fidelity Bank the past 12 years. While with First Fidelity Bank, he has also been an active member of Oklahoma soccer community since 1993. He has served as the assistant director of coaching for the Oklahoma Soccer Association since 2010 as well as serving an instructor for US Soccer coaching education courses. He was a staff coach for the Oklahoma Football Club from 2008-10 and co-founded and served on the staff for the NOKC United since its inception in 2001, while also working as the club’s academy director in 2008-09. Prior to that time he was on staff with the Royals Football Club.

Role: Adjunct Professor
Title: Assistant AD/Game and Event Operations for OU Athletics

Bryant Houk currently serves as the Assistant Athletics Director of Event & Game Operations for the University of Oklahoma. With over 10 years of experience within college athletics, he now oversees all operations and logistics associated with hosting and executing internal and external events held within OU Athletic facilities. This also includes post season championships (Big 12 & NCAA) where Bryant has served yearly as a Tournament Director for the Women’s College World Series. Prior to his time at OU, Bryant worked in Event Operations for K-State Athletics while obtaining a Master of Science in Counseling and Student Development with an emphasis in Student Services in Intercollegiate Athletics. Bryant began his career in college athletics working in team and equipment operations at Western Kentucky University for the Lady Topper Basketball program. While at WKU he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management.

Role: Adjunct Professor
Title: VP of Licensing, Marketing & Product Development, Top Of The World Inc.
Area of Interest: Licensing and Intellectual Property in Sports

Renata comes to us from the University of Oklahoma where she served as the Licensing Director. Prior to working for OU she served in the NFL Licensing office Under this new role, Renata will lead the TOW team to ensure that we are capitalizing on all of our current licensing agreements whilst looking for ways to grow that base. She will direct the marketing initiatives as well as oversee product development for all of our seasonal lines.

Role: Adjunct Professor, Volunteer Internship Coordinator
Title: Director of Business Intelligence and Ticket Strategy, OKC Thunder
Area of Interest: Sports Management Practicum

Karlis joined the Thunder in September 2008 and currently serves as the team’s director of business intelligence & ticket strategy. The Bloomington, Minnesota, native grew up in Oklahoma City and graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2004. Upon graduating, he joined the sales and retention team for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. After four seasons with the Suns, Karlis jumped at the opportunity to help build a franchise in his hometown.  In his time at the Thunder, Karlis has overseen season ticket retention, premium service, ticket operations and business analytics. In his current role, Karlis takes the lead on the development and management of the teams CRM platform and database warehouse strategy.

Role: Affiliate Faculty
Title:  Assistant Professor of Health and Exercise Science, Assistant Professor of Sports Management
Area of Interest: Economic theory in sport; finance and policy for international professional sport

Professor Larson received his Ph.D., in Kinesiology with an emphasis on Sports Management from the University of Georgia.  In addition to his regular faculty appointment in Health and Exercise Science, he holds an affiliate faculty appointment in the Price College of Business plus is Director of the Sport, Health, and Exercise Data Analytics Lab. In addition, prior to completing his PhD Professor Larson was involved extensively in Professional Cycling.  

Role: Supporting Faculty
Title: Associate Athletic Director for External Relations
Area of Interest: Corporate Relations

Chris Maxon is the Associate Athletic Director for External Relations at Oklahoma City University. Prior to his appointment at OCU, Maxon served as associate AD for development at the University of Tulsa, and assistant director of the Sooner Club at OU. A 20-year veteran of university administration and external relations, Maxon oversees fund raising, marketing, ticketing and media relations at OCU. He has led, or been part of, successful capital and scholarship campaigns, along with annual giving programs, including priority and luxury seating. His experience also includes corporate sponsorships and relations.

Role: Supporting Faculty
Title: Director, Division of Management and International Business, Founder, Sports Management Program
Area of Interest: Networking and placement

With the help of then Dean Evans and AD Castiglione, Professor Sharfman founded the Sports Management Program in 2013.  He has had primary responsibility for coordinating the program since then. He focuses his efforts on managing the instructional team and  developing a network for our students to increase their placement opportunities.

Role: Adjunct Professor
Title:  Senior Associate Athletic Director for Internal Operations

A twenty-five year veteran of the Sooner staff, Greg Tipton was promoted to Senior Associate Athletics Director for Internal Operations in July 2015.  Prior to that, he served as Assistant Athletics Director from 2007-2011 and Associate Athletics Director from 2011-2015.  In his current role, Tipton is responsible for the unit oversight of OU’s Internal Operations departments consisting of 35 full-time employees and 4 graduate assistants.  Those departments include: Athletics Equipment Operations, oversight of the Lloyd Noble Center, Capital Improvements, Athletics Maintenance Operations, Athletics Grounds, Student Conduct & Accountability, Risk Management Assessment and serves as the primary sport administrator for the Sooners Volleyball and Baseball teams. A native of Fairland, Oklahoma and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Tipton began his affiliation with the department in 1990 as a student equipment manager.