Those on the business side of sports who we’d categorize as “statesmen” are scant. Frank Craighill, who died at his Virginia home this past Christmas Day at 86, was assuredly one of those few.
As co-founder of seminal sports agency ProServ, and later of Advantage International, Craighill drafted the blueprints for the modern sports agency, including Octagon, for which Advantage was an antecedent. Craighill also built the TOP global Olympic sponsorship program, largely credited with growing that property to unprecedented heights.
His contributions in tennis include being the initial GC for the ATP and heading agencies representing the likes of Arthur Ashe, Stan Smith and John McEnroe. Across sports, ProServ eventually represented more than 200 athletes, including Michael Jordan and Nancy Kerrigan.
Former IOC Marketing Director Michael Payne called Craighill “one of the founding fathers of the sports marketing industry ... a true gentleman, always offering wise, calm counsel.”
A family-authored obit described Craighill as a “calm anchor of equanimity.” That’s probably as accurate as anyone will come to characterizing Craighill.
“Frank had a quiet confidence that doing the right thing was always the right thing,” said Octagon founder/President Phil de Picciotto. “Our culture remains entirely reflective of Frank and [Advantage co-founder] Lee Fentress. He was always looking for us to be early adopters, whether it was within sports marketing, stressing the importance of globalization, or in technology.”
MLS Deputy Commissioner Gary Stevenson headed marketing for Craighill at ProServ and Advantage.
“He was a visionary with unwavering character and composure,” Stevenson said. “And he had a unique global vision for sports very early. Within a year of when I was hired, he had me setting up offices in Italy, Japan, London, Germany and Paris.”
Harlan Stone followed Stevenson as head of what became Octagon.
“Frank never needed to be the loudest voice in the room, and he taught the deal guys like Gary and myself grace and patience,” Stone said. “Any success the company or I had is highly attributable to him.”
Added 33-year Octagon marketer Woody Thompson: “Frank was just this beacon of integrity and the best listener I ever knew.”
Like many, retired Octagon CMO Lisa Murray lauded Craighill’s intelligence and demeanor.
“While being so modest about his own career and achievements, he was so appreciative, enthusiastic and supportive of what we brought to the table,” she recalled.
Craighill is survived by his wife of 48 years, Marcee Fareed Craighill; his children, Amara (Jared Roscoe), Frank (Sarah Elkins Craighill), and Hunter (Katherine Mullins); and his five grandchildren Maya, Julian, Isabelle, Bowdoin and Reed.
A memorial service is planned for 11am ET on Jan. 24 at St. John’s Episcopal Church in McLean, Va.
