Carl Daniels didn’t have to look far to fill a critical position within his department. In fact, just down the hall at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Daniels, the VP of Player Relations, has hired Karen Atkeson as the Director of Player Relations. And, as you would expect, there were a plethora of applicants for Daniels to choose from for the position.
Atkeson is a longtime team employee with the Indiana Pacers, most recently serving as the Director of Promotions. You may not know the name, but you’ll absolutely know her work.
FanJam? That’s Karen.
Gold-outs? That’s Karen. (My story from 2013 on the Gold t-shirt supply running thin.)
Prizes and contests? That’s Karen.
The role is very important, primarily responsible in helping the players with anything and everything they need in their lives outside of basketball. That includes but is not limited to: Finding somewhere to live, setting up and executing appearances, helping players take part in causes special to them, teaching them fundamental life skills, handling tickets, and assisting family and close friends.
Atkeson takes over as director next week, replacing Heather Denton who did an exceptional job previously in that role. Under Denton’s observation, the department consistently ranked in the top three by the league office.
Denton left the team last month after nearly 15 years with the franchise. She received an offer she could not refuse and moved on to the Milwaukee Bucks as the Vice President of Player Relations. The Pacers were everything to her, as she started with the organization as an intern. Denton took player relations manager Drew Franklin with her to Milwaukee. (That manager role should soon be filled.)
The pair finished with the Pacers in mid-November and began their new roles with the Bucks on December 8th.
The Pacers’ player relations department is still getting their feet wet. Daniels has only been on the job since September 1st, and Carl Nicks, who was previously a scout, moved over to the department prior to the start of training camp later that month. Last year, the department consisted of Clark Kellogg, Denton, and Franklin.