Oklahoma City General Manager Sam Presti today announced several additions to the team’s basketball staff. They include Rob Hennigan as Director of College and International Player Personnel, Dr. Donnie Strack as Director of Medical Services, Joe Sharpe as Head Athletic Trainer, Brian Facchini as Director of Basketball Communications, Vin Bhavnani as Video Coordinator and Ayana Clinton as Manager of Player Appearances and Services.
“We are pleased to add this caliber of professionalism and experience to our basketball operations staff.” Presti said. “Our mission in Oklahoma City is to build an elite basketball organization; we feel that has to occur on and off the court. Today’s additions will help us as we continue to build and define our franchise.”
Hennigan comes to Oklahoma City from the San Antonio Spurs where he served as Director of Basketball Operations. Hennigan joined the Spurs as an intern during the 2004-2005 season and was named the team’s Basketball Operations Assistant in the summer of 2005.
Since 2005, Strack has been a physical therapist at Orthopedic Physical Therapy Services in Wellesley Hills, Mass. Strack graduated with a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Indianapolis in 2005 after serving as a Graduate Assistant athletic trainer for the Indiana Pacers from 2002-2005. Strack also served as an assistant athletic trainer during the 2002 World Basketball Championships in Indianapolis in 2002.
Sharpe joins Oklahoma City from the Charlotte Bobcats where he served as the Head Athletic Trainer for the team since its inception into the NBA in 2004. Prior to Charlotte, Sharpe was the Assistant Athletic Trainer/Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves for two seasons, which included the team’s Midwest Division title and run to the Western Conference Finals. Sharpe was previously the Head Basketball Athletic Trainer at the University of Connecticut during a nine-year stint with the Huskies and was in charge of the team’s medical care during its NCAA Championship season in 1999. In 2002, he worked at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid and worked with the USA Basketball men’s junior national team.
Facchini brings nine years of NBA basketball public relations experience to Oklahoma City. He spent six years with the Portland Trail Blazers as Manager of Sports Communications from 1997-2003 before moving to the San Antonio Spurs from 2003-2006 where he served as Manager of Media Services. He has spent the last two years as the U.S. Communications Manager for Nike in Beaverton, Ore.
Bhavnani has spent the last two years with the San Antonio Spurs as the Assistant Video Coordinator. He started his NBA career with the Los Angeles Clippers as an intern in the video department in 2004.
Clinton joined the organization in 2004 as the Video Coordinator for the WNBA’s Seattle Storm. She served the NBA team last year in Seattle as the Player Services Coordinator. Clinton began her career in the NBA as an intern in the video department with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2000 before being hired fulltime two years later as the team’s assistant video coordinator.
“Francisco is a player of high character who will bring length and athleticism to the front line,” said Hammond. “In addition, he has extensive playoff experience and has been part of an NBA Championship team. He knows what it takes to be a part of a winning team and we welcome a player with his level of experience.”