From the basketball court to the classroom, Stan Van Gundy will be joining Stetson University’s Sport Business program as an instructor in January for the spring semester. Van Gundy will be teaching a special topics class that will examine the ethical, management and leadership aspects of sport business.

Van Gundy was president of basketball operations and head coach of the Detroit Pistons from 2014 to 2018. Prior to that, he was the head coach of the Orlando Magic from 2007 to 2012, leading them to the NBA Finals in 2009.

“We are excited to have Stan join our program. He brings years of real-world experience in sport management and coaching combined with an appreciation for how analytics are used to inform both coaching and organizational decisions,” said Scott Jones, Ph.D., program director of sport business. “To be able to bring all of this experience and knowledge into the classroom is unique and a valuable resource for our students.”

In addition to Van Gundy, two additional instructors with strong sport management backgrounds are joining the program.

Rob Neal has extensive experience in the golf industry and has served in various roles over the years including as the executive director of Tournament Golf Foundation, vice president of the Ladies Professional Golf Association, and chairman of LPGA Tournament Owners Association. Neal will begin teaching intro to sport business for the spring semester.

Rounding out the sport business program, Bud Hanson, a seasoned marketing executive with a 25-year history developing and directing strategic sales and event marketing initiatives, is now teaching the sport event management class. His career in sports started with managing promotions for college teams and minor league baseball. An innovative marketer, Bud also spent 15 years at Purina where he managed brands and sales teams, and led the company’s portfolio of experiential properties and events. Today he helps brands and businesses create remarkable stories through film and events with his consultancy, Tribe Branding.

The Sport Business program in the School of Business Administration at Stetson prepares students to manage, market and monetize the unique aspects of the sport product by engaging fans via traditional and emerging media for the key revenue streams in sport: ticketing, sponsorship, media and licensing. In addition to specific courses on various aspects of sport business, students take foundational business courses, which help foster an understanding of sport as an industry beyond leisure pursuits and athletic performance.

-Marie Dinklage