McCarthy named Bucks' chief operating officer
Mike McCarthy, who has served as a consultant to the Milwaukee Bucks, has been named the team's chief operating officer.
McCarthy is the former president of MSG Network and served six years as the chief executive officer of the National Hockey League's St. Louis Blues and Scottrade Center.
In the past three years, he has served as executive vice president of media, new business and events for The Legacy Agency. As part of that job, McCarthy advised the Bucks on the team's broadcast and digital content planning, including hiring Gus Johnson and Marques Johnson to the broadcast team that already included Jim Paschke and Jon McGlocklin.
"Obviously there's a lot of work to be done," McCarthy said in an interview Wednesday. "I'll be proudly a part of that. The redevelopment of downtown Milwaukee is something the owners and Peter (Bucks president Peter Feigin) have a lot of pride in being a part of, and that's my feeling, too.
"It's something that's very energizing, very exhilarating and I'm really looking forward to diving in and seeing where I can be of help. I have a varied set of experiences around different markets and projects that have confronted sports and entertainment companies. So I'm pleased to be a part of this operation."
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McCarthy's experience in St. Louis – operating the Scottrade Center and overseeing a $79 million renovation of the Peabody Opera House – will translate to his new job, he believes.
"They were playing a lot more hockey than they were playing basketball in that particular arena, but a lot of the business propositions are strikingly similar," McCarthy said. "When we get into the new building, there will be a lot of experiences I've had in the way of booking concerts and entertainment attractions that will be part of what goes on, and I'll be on that team, too.
"That was a nice building and it means a great deal to St. Louis. We also opened up the Peabody Opera House and renovated it. It had been dormant for 20 years. There's a fair amount of sports, entertainment and construction experience that are things I like to believe I can bring to the table."
Asked about working with Feigin, McCarthy showed his sense of humor when he responded, "Peter?"
Then he laughed.
"We have a good relationship," McCarthy said. "We worked together at the Garden some time ago and there's definitely a rhythm we're in lockstep on. I'm proud to be a lieutenant of his. I think it's going to be a fantastic team."
McCarthy said he has already started his new job and he attended the Bucks' 93-89 victory over Orlando on Monday. He joked that he is 1-0.
"I'm here. Fear the Deer, baby," McCarthy said.
He is upbeat about the Bucks' prospects in the next few years.
"That's a driver for anybody who wanted to be a part of the organization, is what is the forecast for the actual on-court product," McCarthy said. "From a league-wide perspective, this is an exciting young team with nothing but incredible upside and very current high entertainment value.
"It looks to me like they plan to be extremely competitive currently and even more so down the road. You'd have to be excited about this."
How important will it be for the Bucks to be winning when they move into the new arena for the 2018-'19 season?
"I've heard talk about that being the plans here," McCarthy said. "That is absolutely the playbook. I'm excited to be around it. I'm sure Milwaukee and its fan base are excited as well."
The Bucks are playing at the BMO Harris Bradley Center this season and next before moving into the new arena being constructed just north of the Bradley Center.
"This is going to be the single best one in the league; I'm quite sure of that," McCarthy said of the new building. "Fans have a lot of fun at Bucks games now at the Bradley Center. But once this new arena opens, there will be none like it."
McCarthy will be involved in all aspects of the team's business operations while also having an integral part in contributing to the strategic development of the new arena and surrounding area. And he will stay involved in the broadcast operations, an important part of his background from his MSG days.
"The left side of my brain is focused on the media; I can't help it," McCarthy said. "This year we brought Vin Baker in for some pre- and post-game analysis. We have a very strong partnership with our friends at Fox Sports Wisconsin. We work very closely with them."