Veteran sports exec Fred Mangione has been named CEO at Scarlet Knight Enterprises, Rutgers’ newly established commercial arm “focused on driving revenue growth and strategic business initiatives.” Mangione will bring more than three decades of experience in the sports and entertainment industry to Rutgers Athletic Department, where he will “oversee the day-to-day operations of Scarlet Knight Enterprises.” Most recently, Mangione served as Chief Business Officer of the N.Y./N.J. Host Committee for the World Cup. He has also held exec leadership positions with the N.Y. Jets, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment and MM Sports Consulting (ON3, 7/22).
Deep ties and the “ability to further make inroads” into the N.Y. market “certainly jumps out” from Mangione’s resume. His hiring is a “significant addition” for Rutgers AD Keli Zinn as she continues a “substantial reshaping of the athletic department.” Mangione worked as the Jets’ SVP/Sales, Marketing & Premium Partnerships for five years and was the COO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment. Those ties to the N.Y. market are “certainly valuable for Rutgers, especially in a college sports landscape increasingly driven by revenue.” Mangione will begin this new role on Aug. 3 (247SPORTS.com, 7/22).
