Khalid Ballouli joined the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management in 2011 after receiving his Ph.D. in sport management from Texas A&M University. In 2018, Ballouli was appointed Ph.D. program director for the department.
Kim Boone is the director of special events for the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management. A native of upstate New York, she earned a B.S. in Sport and Entertainment Management and a minor in Business from the University of South Carolina in 2002.
Professor Matthew T. Brown has been at the University of South Carolina since 2005 where he serves as chair of the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management and interim director of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. He also teaches and researches in the areas of sport business and finance. Brown's research has led to publications in journals like the Journal of Sport Management, Sport Marketing Quarterly, Entertainment and Sport Law Journal, the International Journal of Sport Finance, and Sport Management Review.
Tarlan Chahardovali is an assistant professor with the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management and joined the University of South Carolina in the fall of 2022. Her research interests are grounded in improving diversity, identifying structural inequities, policy making and gender equity in sport. Her current line of inquiry focuses on athletes’ labor and demand in sport markets with a special focus on the value of women’s labor/women’s sport and the gender pay gap in the sport industry.
Prior to graduating from the University of Georgia (UGA), Tena Crews taught at the secondary and technical school levels teaching business and technology courses. After graduating from UGA, Crews served as the technology coordinator developing the first schoolwide network at an elementary school and then began her higher education career in 1996 at Ball State University (BSU). She then continued her higher education career at the University of West Georgia and the University of South Carolina continuing to teach business and technology courses.
Matthew Dunn has logged more than 20 years of independent live event promotion through his own company, Syracuse Shows LLC, but he has also worked in multiple different ventures within the industry across his 20-plus years of experience. Dunn has expertise in live event promotion and production, entrepreneurship in the music industry, music industry marketing and promotion (including digital media and social media marketing), record company operations (including both major and independent label functionality), artist management and development, branded entertainment, and research methodology.
Andy Gillentine is a professor in the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management at the University of South Carolina. Prior to this appointment, Gillentine held positions as associate dean of the college and chair of the Department of Sport and Entertainment. Before accepting his position at USC, Gillentine was the associate dean, associate professor and director of the Sport Administration Programs at the University of Miami (2002-2010) and as graduate program director at Mississippi State University (1995-2002).
John Grady teaches graduate courses in sport law and risk and security management. At the undergraduate level, he teaches courses in business law and risk management. Grady's research interests focus primarily on the legal aspects of the business of sport.
Paul Graham graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1989 and is an adjunct professor in the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management. After a successful career as tour manager for Hootie and the Blowfish, Graham took over the reins as the tournament director for the band’s Monday after the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am, one of the most popular tournaments in the country.
Keshav Gupta serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management at the University of South Carolina. Gupta received his Ph.D. in business administration from the Fox School of Business at Temple University and his B.Tech in electrical and electronics engineering from Delhi Technological University in New Delhi, India.
Jessica Harris attended Winthrop University where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in theatre. Before becoming the administrative coordinator for Sport and Entertainment Management (SPTE) in 2013, Harris worked in several other departments on campus, including Undergraduate Admissions and Graduate Admissions.
Yongjin Hwang received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Sungkyunkwan University, after which he moved to the United States to become an audio engineer. While working in the recording studio, Flux Studios, in New York City, Hwang completed a master’s degree in music technology at NYU. As a result of his educational experience, Hwang decided to combine the two degree subjects together as a doctoral student at USC in the Department of Sport and Entertainment, where he now serves as an assistant professor with the department.
A native of Ohio, Todd C. Koesters received his bachelor's degree from Ohio State University, a master's degree in sports administration from Ohio University and a Juris Doctor degree from Capital University Law School where he served as president of the Sports and Entertainment Law Society.
A native of North Dakota, Haylee Uecker Mercado received her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and Coaching from Minnesota State University Moorhead, her Master of Science in Sport Management from Old Dominion University and Ph.D. (2008) from Florida State University. Prior to getting her Ph.D., Mercado worked for the athletic department at Old Dominion University as the director of promotions during the construction and opening of the Ted Constant Convocation Center, during which time she was a finalist for Employee of the Year.
Brian J. Mihalik is a professor in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management and in the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management. Mihalik is also the former dean of the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management at the University of South Carolina. Mihalik received his doctorate of education from Temple University, and two M.S. degrees with an undergraduate degree in business administration from Syracuse University.
Danny Morrison earned his B.A. in mathematics from Wofford College, his M.E. in administration and supervision from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his Ph.D. in educational leadership from the University of South Carolina (2000). In addition to serving as president of the Carolina Panthers (2009-2017), Morrison served as director of athletics at Texas Christian University (2005-2009), commissioner of the Southern Conference (2001-2005), and as senior vice president (1997-2001) and director of athletics (1985-1997) of Wofford College. Morrison also served as both a high school- and college-level mathematics instructor and sports coach earlier in his career.
A native of California, Mark S. Nagel became a faculty member in the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management at the University of South Carolina in 2006. Prior to joining the department, Nagel was the director of the graduate sport management program at Georgia State University.
At age 29, O'Malley became the first female president of an NBA franchise as well as one of the first women in a major front-office position in major league sports. She is the former president of the NBA's Washington Bullets (now the Wizards) and Washington Sports and Entertainment. In her 20-year tenure with Washington Sports, she also ran the Verizon Center (formerly the MCI Center), the WNBA's Washington Mystics, and Ticketmaster Washington-Baltimore.
Thomas H. Regan's work experience includes working as a staff accountant for Fox & Co., CPAs and eight years as a comptroller for a fully integrated oil and gas company. Regan has consulted with many professional organizations concerning financing venues and determining the economic benefit of facilities, events and teams.
Johan Rewilak joined the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management in January 2023 after serving as an assistant professor of sport economics at Aston University in Birmingham, U.K. He earned his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Leicester and his research interests lie in development finance and sports.
A native of Stockholm, Sweden, Armen Shaomian has extensive background in performing arts, higher education, and project management consulting. Shaomian joined the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management in 2012. He is the founder and CEO of Armenize, Inc., an arts consulting agency specializing in non-profit arts management and foundational strategies.
Stephen Shapiro joined the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management in fall 2017. He serves as associate chair, professor and director of graduate programs. Shapiro previously worked for nine years as a faculty member in the sport management program at Old Dominion University. He served as graduate program coordinator from 2012–2017. Shapiro received his doctorate in sport administration with a doctoral minor in statistics from the University of Northern Colorado. He received his Master of Science in management and Bachelor of Arts in advertising and public relations from the University of Central Florida.
Richard M. Southall came to the University of South Carolina in the fall of 2013 and teaches and researches in the areas of sport ethics, college sport and research methods. His research has led to publications in journals such the Journal of Sport and Social Issues, Journal of Sport Management, Sport Marketing Quarterly, Ethnic and Racial Studies, and Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics. Southall also serves as director of the College Sport Research Institute at the University of South Carolina.
William A. Sutton serves as a professor of practice in the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management. Sutton is a former NBA executive, a distinguished academician and a proven sports marketing practitioner who brings a half-century of experience in the sport industry.
A native of Summerville, S.C., Steve Taylor received both his Bachelor of Science in Sport and Entertainment Management and Master of Sport and Entertainment Management from the University of South Carolina. Before joining the faculty in the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management, Taylor was employed at The Citadel where he was the assistant director of Compliance and Academic Services.
Sam Todd serves as the associate dean for faculty, operations, and international affairs and is a professor in the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management. Todd came to USC in 2017 as an accomplished administrator with senior level exposure to a vast array of university matters. He has been instrumental in a number of valued, strategic achievements within the college.
Dr. Sawyer Laura Truell is an experienced educator with a passion for teaching and prior industry experience with companies including Coca-Cola, Colonial Life, Monster and SCANA Energy. She has expertise in Event Management and has managed many events including the Olympic Trials (Women’s Marathon), Cartoon Network’s Smash Tennis, and the Denver Bronco’s Stadium Emergency Action Team.
Taylor Viselli began working for the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management in November 2023 as an operations support manager with the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management.
Nicholas Watanabe is the international graduate program director and an associate professor in the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management. He received his Master of Science in leisure studies and his Ph.D. in recreation, sport and tourism from the University of Illinois. Prior to coming to South Carolina, Watanabe served as assistant professor from 2016-2017 and assistant teaching professor from 2010-2016 at the University of Missouri.
Cheng (Grace) Yan is an associate professor in the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management. Her research focuses on the inter-related connections between sport, media, and society through critical theoretical lens. The subjects of Yan's work involve the power imbalances in the sport communication process, the attention economics of sport digital media, media representations of sport events and sociological implications, and digital democracy in the realm of sport.