Dan Mahoney joined the Oklahoma City Thunder in August 2008. In his role of vice president of Broadcasting and Corporate Communications, he oversees the Thunder business public relations efforts, website (okcthunder.com) and broadcasting operations.
Previously Mahoney served as a public relations consultant for the Professional Basketball Club, LLC and the New Orleans Hornets. From 1995-2003 he was director of communications for Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating. He later worked with Gov. Keating as senior vice president of communications and public affairs at the American Council of Life Insurers in Washington, D.C.
Consulting with Gooden Group of Edmond, Okla., Mahoney coordinated public relations efforts for the Skirvin Hilton Hotel, a historic Oklahoma City landmark which reopened in 2007 after being closed for 18 years. He also assisted the Hornets during their relocation and two-year stay in Oklahoma City from 2005-07.
As director of communications for Gov. Keating, Mahoney was responsible for public information coordination for the State of Oklahoma and the Governor’s office. That included public information efforts during the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Following that tragedy, he consulted for businesses and other government agencies on crisis communications.
Mahoney spent 18 years in radio and television as a news director, news reporter and sportscaster in Richmond, Va.; Albuquerque, N.M.; and Oklahoma City. He is a native of Philadelphia and attended Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of New Mexico.
Mahoney served on the 20-year anniversary committee for the Oklahoma City National Memorial. He has two adult daughters who live in New York City.
Michael Cage joined the Thunder broadcasting team in 2014 as its television analyst for all FOX Sports Oklahoma broadcasts.
Cage played 15 seasons from 1984-2000 as a power forward in the NBA with the Los Angeles Clippers, Seattle Supersonics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets. He led the NBA in rebounding in 1988, capturing the title by grabbing 30 rebounds in the final game of the regular season.
A native of West Memphis, Ark., Cage was a first-round draft pick of the Clippers in 1984 following a successful career at San Diego State University. At SDSU he was named a second-team All-American in 1984 and twice was selected as Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year. The Aztecs retired his jersey (No. 44) in 1984. He was also a member of the gold-medal winning 1983 United States team in the Pan American Games, and he is a member of both the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and the San Diego State Hall of Fame.
Following his playing career, Cage has worked as both a broadcaster and a high school and AAU basketball coach. His broadcasting experience includes serving as TV analyst for the Memphis Grizzlies, FOX Sports West, Prime Ticket and Westwood One radio. Cage coached Mater Dei High School in Los Angeles to back-to-back state titles in 2013-14 and a national championship in 2014. He also served as a guest coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers at the 2013 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
Cage has a long history of giving back to the community during and after his NBA playing career. The Michael Cage Foundation works with young athletes to mentor, teach and share life lessons.
Brian Byrnes joined the Thunder organization in April 2005, and developed and executed the strategic sales and marketing efforts to launch business operations in Oklahoma City in 2008. Byrnes’ current responsibilities include oversight of ticket sales, retention and operations; luxury suite sales and hospitality; marketing and communications strategies such as brand management, advertising, promotions, graphic design, digital media, e-commerce and event presentation.
Capitalizing on the unique platform of being Oklahoma’s first permanent major-league sports team, Byrnes continues to foster programming that extends the reach of the Thunder brand to fans throughout the region. Initiatives such as Thunder Alley and the Kia Rewards Zone make the game-day experience accessible to all Thunder fans visiting Chesapeake Energy Arena. Year-round, the Blue Alliance connects local fans in towns across Oklahoma, while the OG&E ThunderBolt brings an interactive Thunder experience to regional fairs and neighborhood celebrations.
Previously, Byrnes served as executive vice president of business operations for the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes, guiding the organization through a rebranding that included a new corporate identity, logos and team uniforms. Prior to joining the Coyotes, Byrnes built nearly 10 years of experience with the NHL’s Dallas Stars and MLB’s Texas Rangers.
Byrnes is actively involved in the Thunder Cares Foundation, Allied Arts, Leadership Oklahoma City, the National Sports Forum and the Greater Oklahoma City Sports Consortium. A graduate of St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Byrnes and his wife Ashley reside with their three children in Edmond.
Chair of the Day
Blair Naifeh was born in Oklahoma City. Since 2008 he has served as vice president of Naifco Realty Company, primarily focusing on the commercial assets the company holds. Prior to that he served for two years under Congressman Tom Cole leaving the office with the title of senior legislative assistant. Prior to that he was an assistant Public defender here in Oklahoma County. Blair holds a BA from DePauw university in Greencastle, IN, a JD from Oklahoma City university and an LLM from university of Miami. Blair is the current Chair of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County’s board of directors and is a member of Club 29. He is married to his lovely wife Stephanie and has three children Gabriel, Leilah and Rose.