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The Pistons announced today several promotions and four new additions to the basketball operations staff. Pat Garrity (associate general manager), Adam Glessner (director, player personnel) and J.R. Holden (director, international scouting) have been promoted to senior leadership positions within the department.
“We are pleased to complete our basketball operations staff for the upcoming season and look forward to the contributions of those who have been promoted and those who join our organization,” said General Manager Jeff Bower. “Pat Garrity, Adam Glessner and J.R. Holden have been a major part of our staff over the last three seasons and their promotion to senior leadership positions is a natural progression. Their effectiveness and unique skill sets will allow our basketball operations staff to evolve seamlessly moving forward.”
Garrity enters his third season with the Pistons, and first as associate general manager. Previously, he spent two seasons as director of strategic planning and assistant general manager after completing a 10-year NBA career and three-plus years working as a client advisor for a Connecticut-based hedge fund. Drafted 19th overall in the 1998 NBA Draft, Garrity spent one season with the Phoenix Suns and was traded to the Orlando Magic where he played from 1999-2008, including one season with Head Coach Stan Van Gundy (2007-08). A four-year player at the University of Notre Dame, he graduated with a BS in Science, Pre-Professional Studies. Following his retirement from the NBA in 2008, earned an MBA with a concentration in investment finance from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.
Holden, a college and international scout with the Pistons, enters his third season with the club and first as director of international scouting. The Pittsburgh, PA native played college basketball at Bucknell University from 1994-98 and then embarked on a 13-year pro career overseas playing in Latvia, Belgium, Greece and Russia. His time overseas was most notable while playing for CSKA Moscow (Russia) from 2002-11 where he won 12-of-13 league championships, appeared in eight consecutive Euroleague Final Fours and won one European gold medal. He ended his pro career by being named to the 2001-10 All-Decade Team.
Glessner, a pro scout with the Pistons, enters his third season with the club and first as director of player personnel. His prior NBA experience includes a stint with Charlotte as a coaching associate and six years with the Orlando Magic. During his time in Orlando, he worked under Head Coach Stan Van Gundy from 2007-12 as a video coordinator/analyst.
Additional basketball staff promotions include Jorge Costa to director of research and technology, Aaron Gray to assistant coach, Ryan Winters to scout, Jordan Sabourin to head strength coach, T.J. Saint to head video coordinator and Jordan Brink to assistant video coordinator. New hires joining the Pistons staff include Aaron Blackshear as analytics systems coordinator and Louis Thompson as assistant strength and conditioning coach. Quentin Richardson transitions to a pro scout after serving the last two years as director of player development. Staff additions to the Grand Rapids Drive, the Pistons NBA D-League affiliate, include Courtney Havens-Mitchell as head athletic trainer and Evarist Akujobi as strength and conditioning coach.
