Michael “Mike” Waddell is the Founder & Principal of BRENTWOOD, LLC, which he launched in 2013, an industry leading firm focusing in revenue generation, television & digital content production, brand enhancement, fan engagement, and executive search.  In 2023 the company expanded into two verticals, BRENTWOOD PARTNERS & BRENTWOOD MEDIA, while also partnering with his former Village Sports colleague David Glenn in creating the NORTH CAROLINA SPORTS NETWORK.

Waddell has built a career out of his love for sports and has enjoyed results-driven success in college athletics, professional sports, and private business over a 34-year career, including time as a NCAA Division I Athletics Director, Multi-Stop Pro Sports President, the creator of multiple private business ventures, as well as being a play-by-play broadcaster for 5 #NCAA Championship Teams | UNC (91-92-93-94) UVA (94).

During the pandemic Mike served as the President | Governor of the ECHL’s ALLEN AMERICANS Professional Ice Hockey Club, located in Allen, TX, where he led the organization to back-to-back playoff appearances in 2021 and 2022.  Waddell’s biggest accomplishments in DFW were signing a new NHL affiliation agreement with the Seattle Kraken and negotiating a new long-term lease with the City of Allen to keep the team in the Dallas suburb through the 2027 season.   

Prior to joining the AMERICANS, Waddell served as Team President of the Orlando Apollos in the Alliance of American Football, working alongside the legendary “Head Ball Coach” Steve Spurrier and Veteran National Football League General Manager Tim Ruskell. Waddell hit the ground running with the hiring of 24 employees and engaging the Orlando Community with more than 80 out-bound events from October through January, leading into the start of the season in February.  The Apollos sold 5,251 season tickets and averaged 19,648 fans for home contests, pushed by more than 4,000 group tickets per game, while also capturing the AAF Championship in the league’s only season. 

From 2016-2018 Mike worked in NASCAR as a Vice President, helping lead the 30-million-dollar renovation of Richmond Raceway.  Waddell forged new areas of revenue and brand engagement, first with the Racing Virginia grassroots promotional platform, and later with the THIS IS RICHMOND digital content campaign. In the Fall of 2017, he created  Richmond Raceway Esports, which was NASCAR’s first track owned esports racing team, featuring six drivers and a host of engaged sponsors in NASCAR’s Official iRacing Series.

Waddell has spent the majority of his career as a leader in college athletics, including three years as the Director of Athletics at Towson University, where the Tigers won 11 Colonial Athletic Association Championships and built the $85m SECU Arena and negotiated a $4.75m naming rights deal for the multisport facility.  He has also held Executive Athletics External Leadership positions with the University of Illinois, University of Arkansas, University of Cincinnati, Campbell University and the University of Akron.

The Newton, NC native began his career in 1991 as a broadcaster with Village Sports & the Tar Heel Sports Network at the University of North Carolina and advanced up the play-by-play ranks at the University of Virginia (1994-97), Appalachian State University (1997-2000), and the U.S. Military Academy (2000-01). While at University of Akron (2001-06) Waddell served as the Zips’ television Executive Producer and play-by-play announcer for football & basketball telecasts with ESPN Regional, FOX Sports Ohio, and Time Warner Cable.

A successful recruiter and developer of young professionals, Waddell has hired, mentored, and managed over 50 associates who have since become senior-level leaders in the sports (NCAA, NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLS, XFL, NHL), entertainment, higher education, and private business verticals.

A 1991 graduate of Guilford College in Greensboro, NC, Waddell later earned his master’s degree in sport administration at Ohio University in 2010, which is recognized as the #1 graduate program in the World for Sports Business.