Tag: Brandon Sosna

With Carol Folt’s retirement, Lincoln Riley is the last man standing at USC

The athletic director, the chief of staff, a key board figure, and now the president. The people on stage with Lincoln Riley in 2021 will all be gone next year.

Three years ago, when Lincoln Riley made the stunning decision to leave Oklahoma for USC, he mentioned the Trojans’ strong administrative alignment as one of the biggest factors that motivated him to do so. Three years later, he might be starting to question that decision a little.

One of the biggest X-factors in USC’s wooing of Riley was chief of staff Brandon Sosna. However, Sosna left for a front office job in the NFL before Riley even coached his first game in Cardinal and Gold.

USC certainly does not hire Riley without athletic director Mike Bohn. Under Bohn’s leadership, USC’s athletic department went from being a scandal-driven laughingstock to one of the premier operations in the country. However, Bohn resigned after Riley’s first season amidst reports of inappropriate conduct.

One of the speakers at Riley’s introductory press conference was USC Board of Trustees President Rick Caruso. However, Caruso resigned just a few months later to pursue a campaign for Mayor of Los Angeles.

And of course, spearheading the entire operation was USC President Carol Folt. While Bohn and Sosna may have done most of the dirty work, ultimately it was Folt who had to sign off on Riley’s nine-figure contract. Just last week, Folt announced her plans to retire at the end of the academic year.

At Riley’s introductory press conference in November of 2021, the head coach posed for a photo with Folt, Bohn, Sosna, and Caruso. Now, Riley will be the only one of the five still at USC next year.

Is this the end of the world? Not at all. Ultimately, Riley’s job is to coach the football team. It is not as though he is spending multiple hours with the president and athletic director on a daily basis.

But given that Riley was promised strong administrative alignment when he signed on, the fact that the four biggest people responsible for hiring him will be gone less than four years later is not exactly a great sign.

It is too soon to know what this will mean for Riley’s long-term future, but if he does not feel he has the support of the new administration, he could potentially decide to jump ship for the NFL sooner rather than later.

After all, there is a very good chance Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears will need a new head coach this offseason. Just saying . . .

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Discussing Carol Folt’s leadership of USC football requires nuance

Carol Folt has done a lot to support USC football, but the program isn’t yet where it needs to be. This is a difficult debate.

On our recent USC call-in show at The Voice of College Football, we had a debate with a caller at the 28-minute mark of the video, posted below. Our discussion revolved around USC President Carol Folt and her leadership of USC football. We discussed the various details and dimensions surrounding how much she is prioritizing the program and, in the caller’s opinion, is not being as supportive or effective as she should be for USC football.

One notion which figured centrally and prominently in this discussion was Folt’s belief that USC needs to win the right way. The caller felt that was a coded way of saying USC won’t try to be extra-aggressive in the arenas where Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, and Oregon regularly succeed. The contrary point to that claim is that Carol Folt hired Mike Bohn and Brandon Sosna, who brought aboard Lincoln Riley. Folt helped broker the Big Ten move which will give USC a lot of new and needed revenue. She oversaw the ground breaking on a state of the art football-only facilities.  Now with the hiring of Athletic Director Jenifer Cohen and the hiring of a new and improved defensive coaching staff USC has positioned itself to make a run at the top of the Big Ten Conference.

Have Folt and USC made the changes to allow USC to compete at the highest levels of college football? That is to be determined. Has President Folt committed to helping USC reach the expected standard? Certainly to a point. Callers and critics might say it simply hasn’t been enough. Where we can all agree: Let’s give Folt some credit even while we note where USC is still falling short. Folt cares. Now we need to see if she and Cohen can improve on what they have established. There is certainly room for improvement, even while needed fixes have already been made and paid for.

Here’s our segment:

https://www.youtube.com/live/WIczn-l-zmw?si=jXiGrwo5Qb78sgq-&t=1681

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Lions hire Cardinals analytics manager to replace Brandon Sosna

Lions hire Cardinals analytics manager Charlie Adkins to replace Brandon Sosna in the Detroit front office

Even with the team being largely on the summer break after OTAs and minicamp, the Detroit Lions have made an important addition to the front office.

The Lions are bringing in Charlie Adkins to the front office. Adkins has been the manager of football analytics and research for the Arizona Cardinals.

He will be replacing Brandon Sosna, who left Detroit earlier this offseason to join the Washington Commanders. While Sosna was known primarily for his work on contracts in Detroit, he also did some analytical research work for the Lions as well.

Adkins spent seven years with the Cardinals is a variety of football operations roles.

Commanders GM Adam Peters’ statement on hiring David Blackburn

What did Adam Peters say about his latest hire?

Washington general manager Adam Peters is on a roll. After a busy free-agency period that saw the Commanders sign over 20 players, Peters selected nine players in the 2024 NFL draft, led by quarterback Jayden Daniels. The moves have earned him praise from around the NFL.

This month, Peters has remained busy reshaping the front office. Washington has allowed several executives and scouts from the previous administration to leave so that the personnel department can be rebuilt according to Peters’ vision.

Peters continues to make top-notch hires. Earlier this week, the Commanders hired 31-year-old Brandon Sosna as the new senior vice president of football operations. Sosna is viewed as a rising star around the NFL.

Next, Washington officially confirmed the rumored hiring of former Ravens personnel executive David Blackburn. Blackburn has spent the past 17 years with the Ravens—arguably the NFL’s best front office—and was named Washington’s new director of player personnel.

Here’s what Peters said of Blackburn:

I’ve known David Blackburn for a number of years dating back to our days scouting the West Coast. David has always impressed me with his consistent approach, talent in player evaluation and overall professionalism. He is one of the most respected scouts in the NFL and is also a top-notch person. He has been a valued member of the Baltimore Ravens personnel department and has learned from two of the most well-respected people in our business in Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta. David will be an outstanding addition to the staff we are building here in Washington.

Peters deserves the most credit for hiring people he hasn’t worked with before. That means he doesn’t need to completely surround himself with only people who know how he thinks. He is hiring scouts and executives from around the NFL whom he has watched from afar and respects.

It’s certainly a new approach in Washington.

Commanders to hire Dwaune Jones as national scout

Adam Peters is staying busy.

Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters is on a roll. Earlier on Monday, the Commanders announced the hiring of Brandon Sosna as the club’s new senior vice president of football operations. Sosna is viewed as a rising star in the NFL and comes to Washington from the Detroit Lions.

The Commanders are also reportedly hiring away David Blackburn from the Ravens to serve as the organization’s new director of player personnel.

Peters isn’t done. Neil Stratton — @InsideTheLeague on X — revealed that Washington hired Dwaune Jones as a national scout. Jones, 46, is a McLean, Va., native, played college football at Richmond and spent 12 years with the Saints as a scout, four years with the Ravens in the same role and the previous three seasons with the Falcons as the assistant director of college scouting.

The Commanders have allowed multiple members of their front office to depart as Peters reshapes the organization under his vision. Chris Polian, who served as Washington’s director of pro personnel for the past three seasons, is the latest departure. Polian heads to the Cleveland Browns, where he’ll be an advisor.

Man who helped USC hire Lincoln Riley switches NFL teams

Brandon Sosna, who helped bring Lincoln Riley to USC, will work with the Washington Commanders this season.

Brandon Sosna is widely viewed as the brain behind the Bohn at USC. Sosna was the true strategist who helped Mike Bohn land Lincoln Riley as USC football coach in November of 2021. Sosna, who was exceptionally good at his job when he worked at USC as an assistant to Bohn, left to take a front-office position with the Detroit Lions, who subsequently reached the NFC Championship Game and nearly made Super Bowl LVIII.

It is clear that Sosna is smart and competent, someone any organization should want. Now Sosna is changing NFL teams. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Monday that Sosna is moving from the Lions to the Washington Commanders.

The Athletic wrote this about Sosna last year:

“Department staffers regularly assumed job responsibilities generally fulfilled by the AD, most visibly in the case of Brandon Sosna, Bohn’s right-hand man who followed him from Cincinnati. Sosna quickly jumped in on everything from the program’s coronavirus response to the marquee hiring of head football coach Lincoln Riley to the realignment machinations for a move to the Big Ten, becoming the go-to point of contact and decision-maker before leaving for a job with the Detroit Lions last June.”

It’s hard to ignore that the Commanders got themselves a good one with Brandon Sosna.

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Commanders officially hire Brandon Sosna senior vice president of football operations

It’s official. Commanders hire Brandon Sosna as team’s new senior vice president of football operations.

Mike Garofolo of the NFL Network revealed that the Washington Commanders were expected to hire Detroit Lions executive Brandon Sosna for a high-ranking front office position.

On Monday, the Commanders officially confirmed the move, naming Sosna as the franchise’s new senior vice president of football operations.

Sosna will report directly to general manager Adam Peters and will be Washington’s lead contract negotiator. He will oversee multiple football operations departments, such as analytics, health and performance, and sports administration. He will also play a significant role in roster construction, the salary cap, and the CBA.

Peters released the following statement:

We are excited to welcome Brandon Sosna to the Washington Commanders. Brandon was a key addition to Brad Holmes’ staff in 2022 and played a vital role in assisting the Lions in their roster construction these past two seasons. His expertise on the salary cap and in contract negotiations along with his well-rounded skillset developed through his unique career across the NFL and collegiate athletics makes him a great fit for the front office we are building here in Washington. I’d like to thank the Detroit Lions organization and specifically, President Rod Wood who was first-class in how he handled the process of getting Brandon to Washington. Brandon is a home run hire, and we are thrilled to welcome him to the DMV.

Sosna, 31, is a fast riser in the NFL ranks, having spent the past two seasons with the Lions in a significant role under GM Brad Holmes. Before that, Sosna spent three seasons at USC and was instrumental in helping the Trojans move to the Big Ten.

Rob Rogers has been Washington’s top contract negotiator since 2020 and will likely be elsewhere next season.

Neil Stratton also reported that Ravens executive David Blackburn will also join Washington as the team’s new director of player personnel. Ben Standig of The Athletic initially reported the Commanders expected to hire Stratton.

Commanders set to hire Lions executive Brandon Sosna for prominent front office position

Commanders set to make a big-time hire.

The Washington Commanders are expected to make another significant hire. According to Mike Garofolo of the NFL Network, the Commanders are working to hire Detroit Lions executive Brandon Sosna to a high-ranking front office role.

Sosna would likely take over managing Washington’s salary cap. Rob Rogers currently holds that position. Rogers’ title is the senior vice president of football administration. He has been with the Commanders since 2020, and former head coach Ron Rivera hired him. Rogers has spent 29 years in the NFL, all with the Carolina Panthers and Washington.

The Commanders have allowed multiple executives and scouts to leave by not renewing their contracts, but Rogers is still listed on Washington’s homepage.

Sosna, 31, is currently Detroit’s senior director of football administration. He joined the Lions in 2022 and “oversees the strategic planning and management of the salary cap as the team’s primary contract negotiator,” per Detroit’s official website.

Before Detroit, Sosna spent 2019-21 with the USC Trojans, where one of his duties was overseeing the football program’s day-to-day operations. Sosna also spent time with the University of Cincinnati and the Cleveland Browns. He was a football administration intern for the Browns in 2018 before being promoted to salary cap and contract analyst in 2018.

A Cincinnati, Ohio native, Sosna graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in political science. Sosna was named to Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list in 2020 and Sports Business Journal’s “New Voices Under 30” list in 2019.

Commanders reportedly only interviewed a few candidates for the job, one of whom was former Eagles vice president of football administration Jake Rosenberg.

 

Report: Lions exec Brandon Sosna heading to the Commanders

Report: Lions exec Brandon Sosna heading to the Commanders front office

A report from Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network indicates the Detroit Lions are set to lose rising star Brandon Sosna from the team’s front office. Per Garafolo, Sonsa is heading to Washington to join the Commanders front office in a “high-ranking role.”

Sosna, just 31, has served as the Lions’ Senior Director of Football Administration in the Brad Holmes regime. He was responsible for strategic planning among his primary duties in Detroit.

Sosna will reunite with Lance Newmark, who left the Lions front office earlier this offseason to join the Commanders.

New reporting on Mike Bohn shows how well Brandon Sosna performed at USC

The Athletic’s extensive reporting on Mike Bohn is a very bad look for USC … but not for Brandon Sosna. This is eye-opening.

The Athletic’s extensive reporting on the unprofessional behavior of former USC athletic director Mike Bohn is a very bad look for USC. That point has to stand on its own, and USC shouldn’t escape criticism for it. However, tucked inside this generally embarrassing story for the Trojans is a note which could affect the school’s current athletic director search.

Yes, Brandon Sosna is only 30 years old. Compared to many other people who might want the USC athletic director job, he has less experience in a number of situations. He also hasn’t been able to cultivate as many relationships, simply due to not being in the business as long as the veterans who might throw their hat into the ring and express interest in this position.

However, The Athletic’s examination of Mike Bohn’s appalling behavior at both USC and Cincinnati does mention how much heavy lifting Sosna did while Bohn neglected his job at USC:

“Department staffers regularly assumed job responsibilities generally fulfilled by the AD, most visibly in the case of Brandon Sosna, Bohn’s right-hand man who followed him from Cincinnati. Sosna quickly jumped in on everything from the program’s coronavirus response to the marquee hiring of head football coach Lincoln Riley to the realignment machinations for a move to the Big Ten, becoming the go-to point of contact and decision-maker before leaving for a job with the Detroit Lions last June.”

Sosna might be young, but he carried a lot of responsibilities, and he didn’t merely pass these tests; he aced them. Moreover, these were not third-tier responsibilities, but major central projects for USC.

Brandon Sosna really was the brain behind Mike Bohn. These details certainly enhance a potential Sosna candidacy, if he truly wants to become USC’s next athletic director.

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