Find the Leaders Who Define Your Program
Every search engagement is retained and exclusive. Most search firms deliver a name and disappear. We build the relationship first, match leaders to programs built for the long run, and stay engaged long after placement.
Weeks, not months
Direct hire delivered in weeks, not the traditional 60 to 90 days.
Proactive, not reactive
Succession pipelines mapped before a seat ever opens.
Relationship-driven
Post-placement support built in, not bolted on.
Retained and exclusive, always
No contingency searches.
One Process, Every Level
Same cycle. Different incline.
Every search runs on the Cultivation Cycle, the same process whether we're placing a president or a director of operations. What changes is the climb.
Leadership Search
ADs, presidents, GMs, and senior leadership. Our retained, exclusive search practice. Built for the hires that shape a program.
Recruitment
Directors, mid-management, sales, and operational roles. Same process, lower incline.
See the Cultivation Cycle →
Four Ways to Engage
As much or as little as you need
From a full search from end to end, to advising your own team from the consulting seat.
Direct Hire
End-to-end retained search, delivered in weeks, not the traditional 60 to 90 days.
Retained Search
A defined, vetted candidate pool for internal review and selection.
Name Sourcing
10 to 15 targeted, qualified candidates to jumpstart your search.
Behind-the-Scenes Advisory
Strategic guidance while your organization leads the search.
How We Evaluate
Built from decades on
the inside
A proprietary evaluation system, not a generic assessment questionnaire. Every candidate is measured on four things.
Leadership Style
How they lead, decide, and communicate.
Cultural Alignment
Fit with your program, your people, and your values.
Career Trajectory
Where they've been, and where they're headed.
Gameness
Resilience under pressure, when it matters most.
Who You'll Work With
You work directly with Dave.
Dave Dagostino, Jr.
Managing Director
Dave leads every search personally. He built his career inside the game, coaching and recruiting at Union College, Saint Rose, Jacksonville State, Cincinnati, and West Virginia, before building a search practice around it.
Gene DeFilippo
Former Athletics Director, Boston College
Tim Fitzpatrick
Former Deputy AD & COO, Brown.
Mike Lynch
30+ years in athletics and fundraising. 2x AD of the Year.
J.P. Ricciardi
Former GM, Toronto Blue Jays.
Tom Burnett
Former Commissioner, Southland Conference.
Common Questions
Before you call
Quick answers to what organizations ask us first.
How long does a search take?
Direct hire searches are delivered in weeks, not the traditional 60 to 90 days, because we map succession pipelines before a seat opens.
Do you take contingency searches?
No. Every search is retained and exclusive. That’s what lets us commit fully to your search, move in weeks, and stay with you after the hire.
What roles do you fill?
Leadership roles like athletic directors, presidents, GMs, and senior executives, plus directors, mid-management, sales, and operations roles. We work with athletic departments, conferences, sports organizations, and pro teams.
Do you stay involved after the hire?
Yes. Post-placement support is built into every search. We check in with you and your new leader through onboarding and their first months in the seat, because a placement only counts if it lasts.
Alignment Consulting
Get the structure, spend, and culture right before the next hire.
Workshops & Education
Keynotes and on-site workshops for your staff and leadership.
Tell us what you're facing.
Share the role and what's at stake, or skip straight to a conversation with Dave.
Dave personally reviews every inquiry within 24 hours.