AI and data programs
10 sports analytics experts
These ten professionals have led analytics and data science work for professional sports teams and clubs, with titles such as director of football analytics and head of sports analytics. A reader can learn how sports analytics leaders build and run their teams.
Professionals to explore
01—10Brian Prestidge
LinkedInExperience: Football Intelligence Director · City Football Group
Football Intelligence Director at City Football Group since 2025. Former Director Of Football Intelligence (2022–2025), Director of Insights & Decision Technology (2020–2022) and Football Insights Data Scientist (2017–2020) at City Football Group, and Alteryx & Tableau Consultant at The Information Lab (2015–2017).
Greg Starek
LinkedInExperience: Director of Football Analytics · Indianapolis Colts
Director of Football Analytics at Indianapolis Colts since 2023. Former Senior Performance Analyst at San Francisco 49ers (2022–2023), and Senior Data Scientist (2022) and Data Scientist (2019–2021) at San Francisco Giants. The profile describes designing, building and deploying end-to-end data science solutions for both web scale and sparse data sets.
Josh Pohlkamp-Hartt
LinkedInExperience: Associate Director Of Hockey Analytics · Boston Bruins
Associate Director Of Hockey Analytics at Boston Bruins since 2023 and former Data Scientist there (2019–2023). Former Statistician at Apple (2015–2019). The profile describes a doctorate in statistics focused on signal detection for time series and a data science career that began with Apple Maps.
Joshua Fink
LinkedInExperience: Associate Vice President of Basketball Data Science · Spurs Sports & Entertainment
Associate Vice President of Basketball Data Science at Spurs Sports & Entertainment since 2025. Former Senior Director of Data Science (2022–2025), Director of Data Science (2018–2022) and Basketball Operations Data Scientist (2017–2018) at Spurs Sports & Entertainment. The profile describes an interest in using modern Bayesian statistics and computational methods to better understand sports.
Kevin Minkus
LinkedInExperience: Director, Football Analytics · Chicago Fire FC
Director, Football Analytics at Chicago Fire FC since 2021, where the profile says Kevin Minkus leads an 8-person data science and software engineering team developing ML models and predictive analytics. Former Senior Data Scientist (via Acquisition of Monetate) at KIBO (2020–2021), Data Scientist at Monetate (2017–2020) and Data Scientist at Allstate (2016–2017).
Michael Weis
LinkedInExperience: Director, Draft Analytics · Baltimore Orioles
Director, Draft Analytics at Baltimore Orioles since 2024. Former Senior Data Scientist (2021–2024) and Analyst, Baseball Analytics (2019–2021) at Baltimore Orioles, and Data Scientist at Copart (2017–2019). The profile describes building and deploying machine learning solutions across professional sports and other industries.
Patrick McFarlane
LinkedInExperience: Assistant Director, Baseball Research & Development · Philadelphia Phillies
Assistant Director, Baseball Research & Development at Philadelphia Phillies since 2022. Former Lead Quantitative Analyst, Player Evaluation (2020–2022) and Quantitative Analyst (2018–2020) at Philadelphia Phillies, and Data Engineer at Bloomberg (2017). The profile describes a sports data scientist focused on basketball and baseball.
Pau Madrero Pardo
LinkedInExperience: Head of Sports Analytics · FC Barcelona
Head of Sports Analytics at FC Barcelona since 2022 and former Data Scientist there (2019–2022). The profile also lists roles as Co Director of Postgraduate Degree at Barça Innovation Hub since 2025 and Lecturer at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (2021–2025).
Ryan Kruse
LinkedInExperience: Vice President, Hockey Strategy & Analytics · Chicago Blackhawks
Vice President, Hockey Strategy & Analytics at Chicago Blackhawks since 2022, where the profile says Ryan Kruse recruited, hired and leads a cross-functional team of 10 engineers, data scientists, research scientists and hockey analysts. Former Vice President, Research & Development - Hockey Operations at Los Angeles Kings (2021–2022) and Director, Baseball Systems at Chicago Cubs (2014–2021).
Zain Jafri
LinkedInExperience: Director of Data Science, Basketball Strategy & Analytics · Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Director of Data Science, Basketball Strategy & Analytics at Monumental Sports & Entertainment since 2021. Former Data Scientist, Basketball Strategy & Analytics (2019–2021) and Basketball Operations Intern (2015) at Monumental Sports & Entertainment, and Adjunct Professor at The George Washington University (2019–2022).
Choose the right perspective
Match the person's sport and decision area to yours, since draft and player evaluation models differ from game strategy or performance work. Also consider whether you need someone who built a department from the ground up or someone who sharpened models inside an established group.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01How do you get coaches and scouts to trust and act on model outputs?
- 02Which data sources have mattered most for player evaluation in your sport, and which were overrated?
- 03How do you decide what to build in-house and what to buy from data vendors?
Reaching sports analytics experts
How can I contact one of these sports analytics experts?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 10 companies, including City Football Group, Indianapolis Colts and Boston Bruins, based on profile data retrieved on October 4, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach sports analytics experts?
You choose the offer, starting at $5 per person. It includes Instant Expert's 20% fee, so an offer that pays the person $100 costs you $125. You're charged only when the person books the call or sends the answer.
What if they don't reply?
You pay nothing. Instant Expert sends follow-up reminders, and if the person hasn't booked or answered within 7 days, the request expires and any hold on your card is released. You can invite several of the 10 people on this list at once and cap your total spend, so you pay only for the ones who accept.
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot and may describe past or present roles. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
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