The NBA and NHL are two of the five most popular pro sports leagues in the United States. Both will soon crown their champions for 2026, and like most big winners, those champions will have alumni from USC’s College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management helping run the business side.
More than 80 HRSM alumni are currently working in the NBA (with five more in the WNBA), and more than two dozen more in the NHL (not including current students serving as interns as the connections between the college and the leagues continue to grow). The group covers 20 of the 30 NBA teams, and 13 on the ice.
The alumni represent all three HRSM areas of study, but the majority are former students in the David and Nicole Tepper Department of Sport and Entertainment Management. That department’s faculty provides both a foundation of knowledge and connections that open doors to big league opportunities.
“We have had incredible success placing our students with NBA and NHL teams. The feedback from those clubs is that our students are so well prepared by amazing professors, have gained tremendous experience by having a minimum of two internships and volunteering at events and our SEVT Career Fair is the best collection of talent from any school,“ says Executive in Residence Murray Cohn.
Like many HRSM faculty members, Cohn’s resume includes a wealth of industry experience. He is a former vice president of ticket sales for the NBA. Professor Susan O’Malley is the former president of the Washington Wizards. Recently retired Professor of Practice Bill Sutton, who continues to contribute, is the former NBA vice president, team marketing and business operations.
Their connections have brought guests including NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to campus. Those connections and the stellar reputation of the David and Nicole Tepper Department of Sport and Entertainment Management ensure that most of the league is represented yearly at the SEVT Career Fair, ready to hire for internships and jobs. The doors are open from day one at HRSM.
As director of premium services at Chicago’s United Center, 2014 grad Hillary McDonald is a leader at the arena which both the Bulls and Blackhawks call home. HRSM helped set her on the road to success.
Back in college, I wasn’t certain where I wanted to take my career. After taking classes with our dear Frank Roach (since retired) and Professor Tom Regan (who will forever live in infamy on campus), I needed one final internship to graduate. I remember sitting down with [Internship Director} Steve Taylor, frustrated and impatient with the silence and the no’s coming my way. He asked me what organization I wanted to work for and said, ‘if that is the job you want, you wait for it.’ What he said next though, I’ll never forget. To this day I tell every student I network with, every intern I hire, or anyone just looking for advice….‘But don’t go for the job. Go for the people,’” she recalls.
“Over the past decade, this approach has brought remarkable benefits to my career. With every transition, I’ve made it a priority to truly get to know the people I’d be working with and reporting to. Rather than focusing solely on their roles as supervisors or colleagues, I’ve sought to understand them as individuals, considering their values, personalities, and work styles,” McDonald says. “Because of that, I've had the opportunity to work alongside some truly remarkable individuals throughout my career. While networking has undoubtedly helped open those doors, many of my achievements can be attributed to persistence and determination. I owe a lot of that to our South Carolina sport and entertainment management professors, many of whom set high expectations in a deliberate effort to prepare us for the demands of the field. And if there’s one thing those of us that are in it know, this industry requires not only hard work, but a positive attitude and willingness to learn, regardless of which league you end up in.”
As the College of HRSM grows, its presence in the NBA and NHL continues to expand. The New Orleans Pelicans management team includes eight Gamecocks. The Charlotte Hornets hired five 2026 David and Nicole Tepper Department of Sport and Entertainment Management grads, bringing the HRSM alumni contingent at the Spectrum Center to a dozen. The Washington Capitals, New Jersey Devils and Nashville Predators all have multiple executives whose wardrobes include lots of garnet and black.
Cohn, Taylor, O’Malley and the entire faculty make it their primary mission to put students in position to thrive. Lessons in class, internship opportunities, introductions to industry leaders… the list goes on, all with the same goal.
Tiana Martinez completed her degree in sport and entertainment management just last month. She finished her classes online (with complete support from faculty and staff), because her dream job arrived early, with the Philadelphia 76ers hiring her in February as a sales associate. She says her decision to come to USC is one of the best she’s ever made.
“When I looked at other programs, nothing stood out the way South Carolina did. The experiences that we’re able to get, the support that we get from professors, the excused absences we get to go do work experiences: that’s not something you’re going to get anywhere else,” she says. “Everyone is so supportive, whether it be your professors, your classmates or the clubs that are here. Everything here is about seeing the students’ success.”