Quality Control Music has run the hip-hop game over the past five years with the likes of the Migos, Lil Baby, the City Girls and Lil Yachty establishing themselves as household names and hit-making stars. With Cardi B joining the star-studded crew with a recent management agreement, the label heads Kevin “Coach K” Lee and Pierre “P” Thomas, have expanded their empire into sports management.
The executive duo launched QC Sports earlier this year and just revealed their new QC Sports basketball division. They hired veteran agent Derrick Powell as global head of basketball for the operation. Powell has over 22 years of NBA insight, negotiation, and agency experience and one of his first accomplishments at QC Sports, was successfully negotiating the five-year $100M dollar contract extension of veteran center Jarrett Allen with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“Partnering with an industry veteran that has the experience, credibility, proven track record and commitment to clients that Derrick has is perfectly aligned with the QC Sports brand,” Coach K told The Sports Business Journal in a statement.
Powell has represented multiple first-round and second-round NBA draft picks throughout his career and averaged at least one draft pick per NBA draft between 2014-2019. The Hampton University alum also negotiated over $250 million in player contracts as well as several shoe deals for his NBA clients.
“QC is the most authentic brand in today’s Culture. I am truly honored and beyond excited to be a part of the amazing team that Coach and P have built at QC Sports. But mostly I am ready to get to work and continue to build on the legacy of Quality Control. I am humbled by the level of commitment and dedication everyone brings to the QC Sports clients personal and professional lives every day,” Powell further added in the statement.
In June, P and Coach K, entered the NFL representation arena when they acquired Terra Firma Sports Management, the agency operated by NFL certified agent Brad Cicala. Under the deal, Circala became QC Sports managing partner of football and brought along his 14-person roster as well that includes Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver DeSean Jackson, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Benny Snell Jr and New York Giants wide receiver John Ross III.
