NEW NYU SPS Sports Leadership Certificate Program

Gina Antoniello, a sports communications executive with over a decade of experience in the field, joined the Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport as clinical assistant professor of Sport Management in August 2020. She brings eight years of teaching experience to NYU, after serving as an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s MS in Sport Management program, of which she is also an alumna.

Antoniello last served as head of communications for the XFL’s New York Guardians, where she was the primary architect of the communications strategy. Prior to joining the ranks of professional football, Antoniello held leadership roles in the NBA, with both the Brooklyn Nets and Golden State Warriors. She led both venue and team strategic communications for two of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment (BSE) properties from 2017-19. She has also appeared on national and regional network television as a courtside reporter for G League basketball games where she earned the sideline spot on broadcasts for ESPN, NBA TV, YES Network, and MSG Network from 2015-2019.

Antoniello is currently a PhD in Sport Management candidate at Troy University, focusing her doctoral research on athlete activism and social justice in sport and society. For her work in social responsibility and community programming, she has been honored as a Congressional Capitol Flag recipient. She currently serves as a strategic advisor for The United Football Players Association (UFPA).

Jarrod Barnes serves as a clinical assistant professor of Sport Management at the Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport, teaching courses across gaming, e-sports, and entrepreneurship. Prior to joining the Tisch Institute, Barnes was an investor with Emerson Collective and Unshackled Ventures, investing in early-stage startups at the intersections of education technology, the future of work, gaming, and Web3.

A native of Columbus, Ohio, Barnes began his career as a college football coach at The Ohio State University and Clemson University. He transitioned into professional sports by leading player marketing and corporate innovation efforts for the Los Angeles Rams. Barnes is passionate about all things entrepreneurship and has previously founded multiple startups, most notably, Compass, a Web3 mental health platform that provides tokenized rewards for improving mental fitness, and Prime U, a learning and development platform for sports teams.

Barnes is a proud alum and former football student-athlete at The Ohio State University (MS in Sports Management) and the University of Louisville (BS in Exercise Science). He is currently completing his doctorate of education in Learning Design at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign.

Brandon Brown, PhD, is a clinical associate professor of Sport Management at the NYU School of Professional Studies. In addition to serving as a marketing consultant for several professional sport entities, Brown has worked with the New York Mets in Queens, New York. He has spent his professional and academic career concentrating on the sports management field. He formerly taught a number of sport management courses at the University of Tampa as an assistant professor. He received his PhD, MBA, and BS at Texas A&M University, the University of Central Florida, and Florida State University, respectively.

In addition to serving as a marketing consultant for several professional sport teams, Brown has authored a number of book chapters, as well as refereed journal articles, focusing on sport marketing, consumer behavior, and minority consumption habits. His work has appeared in The Journal of Further and Higher Education, Sport Marketing Quarterly, and the Journal of Sport and Social Issues. He also serves as the vice president for academic affairs for the Sport Marketing Association (SMA), and currently utilizes his expertise in sport marketing and research to consult for professional sport entities. His recent appointments include consultation work for organizations such as SportsHosts, the New York Nets, and New York City Football Club (NYCFC).

Vince Gennaro is the associate dean and a clinical associate professor at the Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport at the NYU School of Professional Studies. He is the author of Diamond Dollars: The Economics of Winning in Baseball; a consultant to Major League Baseball teams; the host of a weekly national radio show, Behind the Numbers: Baseball SABR Style, on SiriusXM radio; and a recognized authority on sports business and sports analytics. He appears regularly on TV on MLB Network’s studio shows, including MLB Now. Gennaro has published groundbreaking work on the financial value of professional team athletes, quantified the impact of winning and losing on team revenues, and studied the topic of team chemistry and its impact on performance.

This follows a successful business career, which is highlighted by a 20-year tenure at PepsiCo, and ownership of a pro sports franchise. At PepsiCo, Gennaro was president of Pepsi’s Fountain Beverage Division, and was general manager of a billion-dollar bottling business, in addition to holding senior positions in marketing, sales, and operations. An entrepreneurial startup endeavor early in his career complements his success with a blue-chip Fortune 50 company. At the age of 27, he raised capital, led the purchase of a franchise in the Women’s Pro Basketball League—the forerunner of today’s WNBA—and served as its president and general manager.

Gennaro’s innovative analysis of the business of sports and sports analytics has been the subject of articles in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and CNN Money. He has also written for Yahoo! Sports and The Wall Street Journal, and is a frequent guest commentator in the media on sports business topics, appearing on MLB Network, the YES Network, CNBC, and Bloomberg TV. He serves on the advisory board of The Perfect Game Foundation and is the former president of the board of directors of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and resides in Purchase, NY.

Daniel Kelly, PhD, joined the Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport at the NYU School of Professional Studies as the academic director of Graduate Programs and a clinical assistant professor in August 2019. Kelly was formerly the faculty director and associate professor of practice for the Sports Industry Management Program at Georgetown University (DC). Additionally, he was an associate professor and director of Sport Management at Wilmington College (OH). Prior to that, he taught at DeSales University (PA). He holds a PhD in Sport Management from The Ohio State University in Columbus (OH), and an MS in Sport Studies and BS in Business Management from the Richard T. Farmer School of Business at Miami University in Oxford (OH).

In addition to his academic pursuits, Kelly has consulted on strategic leadership and global business initiatives with FC Barcelona’s Barca Innovation Hub (Spain), River Plate University Institute (Argentina), and Superliga (Argentina). Also he served as the academic lead for the Josoor Institute’s (Qatar) Football and Sport Management diploma program in preparation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Additionally, Kelly has organized recruiting events and affiliate associations with sports organizations such as Monumental Sports and Entertainment (Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards, Washington Mystics, Washington Valor, and Baltimore Brigade), Good Karma Brands (ESPN Radio), United States Golf Association (USGA), Washington Redskins (NFL), Minnesota Vikings (NFL), DC United (MLS), Phoenix Suns (NBA), Boston Celtics (NBA), and New York Mets (MLB). He currently serves on the board of commissioners for the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA).

Brianna Newland, PhD, is a clinical associate professor and academic director of Undergraduate Programs for the Tisch Institute for Global Sport. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Texas at Austin and earned a doctorate in Sport Management from the USSA, and a master of Physical Education and a BS in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Her research explores the long-term sustainability of sport organizations by attracting/nurturing sport participation and what fosters/hinders adult participation in sport. Newland is published in a number of journals and is a co-editor for two textbooks entitled Sport Facility and Event Management and Sport Event Management Handbook. Before joining the team at NYU, Newland taught at the University of Delaware, Victoria University (VU) in Melbourne, Australia, and the University of Texas in Austin.