Draft:T. J. Beisner

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T. J. Beisner (born June 23, 1984){{Cite news |last=Tucker |first=Kyle |date=2021-08-17 |title=Meet T.J. Beisner, Kentucky's new player development director who bet big on himself and won |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/2775110/2021/08/17/meet-t-j-beisner-kentuckys-new-player-development-director-who-bet-big-on-himself-and-won/ |access-date=2025-06-23 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} is an American sports administrator and agent known for his roles in collegiate and professional basketball, particularly in Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) strategy and player development. He was the first person hired by an NCAA institution to oversee NIL.{{Cite web |date=2022-05-03 |title=TJ Beisner |url=https://ukathletics.com/staff/tj-beisner/ |access-date=2025-06-22 |website=UK Athletics |language=en-US}}

Career

= Early career =

Before entering athletics administration, Beisner built a background in sports media. From 2012 to 2018, he was the lead anchor of Time Warner Cable's Kentucky Sports Television and served as senior managing editor of KentuckySportsRadio.com, which he helped launch.{{Cite web |date=2021-08-16 |title=Former KSTV anchor TJ Beisner joins UK Basketball staff |url=https://www.on3.com/teams/kentucky-wildcats/news/former-kstv-anchor-tj-beisner-joins-uk-basketball-staff/ |access-date=2025-06-22 |website=On3}}

In 2018, Beisner joined JMI Sports as the Director of Digital Media and Content Development, where he oversaw the UK Sports Network and CoachCal.com, the official website of John Calipari.{{Cite web |date=2018-05-08 |title=JMI Sports Names TJ Beisner Editor of CoachCal.com |url=https://jmisports.com/jmi-sports-names-tj-beisner-editor-of-coachcal-com/ |access-date=2025-06-22 |website=JMI Sports}}

= University of Kentucky =

In August 2021, Beisner was named the University of Kentucky men’s basketball program's first-ever Director of Player Development.{{Cite web |date=2021-08-16 |title=Beisner Named Director of Player Development |url=https://ukathletics.com/news/2021/08/16/mens-basketball-beisner-named-director-of-player-development/ |access-date=2025-06-22 |website=UK Athletics}} In his role, he oversaw all off-court management and development of Kentucky's basketball players and served a vital role in recruiting.

During this time, the Wildcats signed six five-star players, including four who were ranked No. 1 overall in their class at some point: Shaedon Sharpe, Aaron Bradshaw, DJ Wagner, and Justin Edwards. They also signed 12 future NBA players, including eight draftees: Sharpe, TyTy Washington, Cason Wallace, Chris Livingston, Antonio Reeves, Rob Dillingham, Reed Sheppard and Adou Thiero.{{cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=Kentucky 2022 Basketball Commits |url=https://247sports.com/college/kentucky/season/2022-basketball/commits/ |website=247sports.com |location= |publisher=CBS Sports |access-date=24 June 2025}}

Beisner also helped navigate NIL opportunities for Oscar Tshiebwe, a native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who faced restrictions due to his F visa status{{Cite news |last=Tucker |first=Kyle |date=2022-02-21 |title=NIL deals help Oscar Tshiebwe bring mom to the U.S. — and maybe pave way for another Kentucky season |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/3142042/2022/02/21/nil-deals-help-oscar-tshiebwe-bring-mom-to-the-u-s-and-maybe-pave-way-for-another-kentucky-season/ |access-date=2025-06-23 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}. Tshiebwe would go on to win the 2022 National Player of the Year and return to Kentucky for his senior year in the 2022-23 season.

= University of North Carolina =

In September 2023, after winning a gold medal at the 2023 Globl Jam{{Cite news |last=Clay |first=John |date=July 17, 2023 |title=Final: Kentucky basketball 89, Canada 72 in GLOBL JAM 2023 gold medal game |url=https://www.kentucky.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/sidelines-with-john-clay/article277357983.html#storylink=cpy |work=Lexington Herald Leader}} with Kentucky, Beisner departed Kentucky to take the lead of the North Carolina Tar Heels NIL operations.{{Cite web |date=2023-09-12 |title=UNC hires Kentucky's TJ Beisner to oversee basketball NIL |url=https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/college/acc/unc/article279490434.html |access-date=2025-06-22 |website=The Charlotte Observer}} Beisner had reportedly left Kentucky, motivated in part by a desire to be closer to family.{{Cite web |date=2023-05-29 |title=Beisner's departure linked to personal, professional reasons |url=https://www.on3.com/teams/kentucky-wildcats/news/tj-beisner-leaving-kentucky-for-unc-nil-opportunity/ |access-date=2025-06-22 |website=On3}}

Following his departure from Kentucky, Calipari referred to him as "my trusted lieutenant" and "jack of all trades", who was integral to the functioning of the program, and wished him well.{{cite news |last=Tucker |first=Kate |date= |title=UNC bringing on TJ Beisner from Kentucky to oversee Tar Heels' NIL efforts: Source |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4844901/2023/09/11/unc-tj-beisner-nil-kentucky/ |work=The New York Times |location= |publisher= |access-date=24 June 2025}} A year after Beisner left Kentucky, Calipari would as well.

= NBA Agent =

As of February 2025, Beisner was working as a basketball agent and certified by the NBA and FIBA.{{Cite web |title=NBPA Agent Directory Profile |url=https://nbpa.com/agents/directory/profile/Thomas%20Beisner |access-date=2025-06-23 |website=NBPA.com |language=en}}

Personal life

Beisner grew up in Coppell, Texas before graduating from South Oldham High School. He is married to his wife, Monique, with whom he has two sons.{{Cite web |title=TJ Beisner Bio |url=https://ukathletics.com/staff/tj-beisner/ |access-date=2025-06-22 |website=UK Athletics|date=3 May 2022 }}