SPIRE Academy Taps NBA, NFL, and UFC Alumni to Lead Its Next Chapter of Commercialization and Player Partnerships

Cision Canada

14-05-2025

New Hires Bring Emmy-Winning Talent, Major League Experience, and NIL Fluency to Drive SPIRE's Brand Forward
GENEVA, Ohio and HARPERSFIELD TOWNSHIP, Ohio, May 14, 2025 /CNW/ - SPIRE Academy, a premier multisport boarding school and athletic training institution, has added three nationally recognized leaders to its executive team. These hires reflect SPIRE's focused strategy to strengthen brand partnerships, expand media operations, and deliver athlete development programs aligned with today's NIL-driven sports landscape.
Adam Taylor – Head of Content and Media
Taylor joins SPIRE from the PGA TOUR, where he served as Senior Director of Original Content and Production. An Emmy-winning and multiple Emmy-nominated producer, and a member of the Directors Guild of America, Taylor brings a wealth of experience from leadership roles at the NFL, UFC, and Disney. His work spans global media platform development, end-to-end content production across platforms, and audience engagement at scale.
"This is about more than producing content," said Taylor. "It's about building a brand that can stand alongside the biggest names in youth sports. We have the people, the platform, and the permission to tell stories that matter."
Taylor will oversee SPIRE's storytelling, content strategy, production, and media partnerships. "Adam's leadership and media vision give us a powerful advantage," said Steve Sanders, CEO of SPIRE Academy. "He brings the experience and instincts to position SPIRE not just as a school, but as a cultural brand in youth sports."
Amy Liles – Head of Partnerships and Tournaments
Liles, most recently with the Hall of Fame Village, brings more than 20 years of experience structuring partnerships for leading sports and real estate development brands, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, Andretti Autosport, and Redwood Living. She has negotiated over $100 million in sponsorships with companies such as Coca-Cola, Marriott, Budweiser, Porsche, and The Cleveland Clinic.
"We are building long-term value by creating partnerships that serve student-athletes and brands equally," said Liles. "SPIRE offers the kind of authentic, high-engagement environment sponsors are looking for."
"Amy understands how to merge brand strategy with immersive experiences and real ROI," said Sanders. "Her approach will help us scale SPIRE's tournament footprint and deepen our commercial relationships."
Matt Cohen – Assistant Athletic Director and General Manager
Cohen comes to SPIRE from Montverde Academy's Center for Basketball Development, where he worked alongside Hall of Fame coach Kevin Boyle, who was named SPIRE's Director of Basketball and National High School Head Coach in March. A former NBA league office staffer, Cohen has hands-on experience across NIL compliance, recruiting strategy, and player development.
"Our athletes need more than training," said Cohen. "They need access, structure, and real opportunities. We're building the bridge that connects what happens on the court to what's possible off it."
"Matt has the instincts and experience to make NIL actionable at the high school level," added Sanders. "He connects the brand, the content, and the athlete, bringing it all together in a way no one else in our space is doing."
Setting a New Standard
This is the first time a high school institution has assembled a leadership team of this caliber to drive a unified strategy across partnerships, media, and athlete marketing. Each executive brings proven success from the professional ranks, now applied to an elite youth development model.
"These leaders represent a major step forward in how SPIRE operates," said Sanders. "Adam, Amy, and Matt bring not only talent to our team, but also increase our credibility, reach, and scale as we build an academy business aligned with the future of sports."
To learn more about SPIRE Academy and its programs, visit www.spireacademy.com.
About SPIRE Academy:
SPIRE Academy is a comprehensive academic, athletic, personal skills and college-and-career development boarding school located in a world-class event and wellness complex in Ohio's Harpersfield Township.
Constructed on 750 acres under 850,000 square feet of roof, SPIRE Academy (spireacademy.com) has five divisions: (1) SPIRE Academy & Camps, an accredited college-preparatory international boarding school and multi-sport/specialty training and development academy for grades 9-12 and post-grads; (2) SPIRE Leagues, Clubs & Professional Teams, including SPIRE Academy affiliated leagues and club programs; (3) SPIRE Events, a facility and associated team that host local, national and international tournaments and events with the NCAA, the Big East, Big Ten, Atlantic 10 conferences, the Olympics and world championship qualifiers; (4) SPIRE Institute, the research and development arm of SPIRE Academy, studying performance improvement across multiple disciplines through corporate affiliations and university relationships; and finally (5) SPIRE Fit, a membership-based fitness, swim, personal training and health center open to the community.
Sports currently featured at SPIRE Academy include men's and women's basketball, esports, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, track and field, volleyball and wrestling.