18 October 2021; John Feehan at the National Basketball Arena in Dublin after being announced as the new CEO of Basketball Ireland. Photo by Sam Barnes/SportsfileJohn Feehan says absolutely thrilled to be appointed the new Basketball Ireland CEO.
The former Six Nations and British and Irish Lions CEO was confirmed in the role this morning.
Feehan spent 16 years in charge of the Six Nations and the Lions, and was also the CEO of the then Pro 12 between 2011 and 2015.
Feehan will take up his role on November 15th and speaking to RedFM Sport this morning says he can’t wait to get going.
"The big one is the potential for the sport in this country.
"Basketball is the fourth biggest sport in the country, it's the biggest indoor sport in the country, and to some extent not a lot of people know that. And that's sad in a way. But it's also a great potential opportunity.
"Commercially there's lots of room for improvement.
"There's so much potential to grow the sport, not just in terms of playing numbers but in terms of levels of interest with the general public, and to get it into sporting psyche as a major sport within the country.
"It's a great challenge."
Basketball Ireland chairman, Paul McDevitt, added:
“We’re delighted to have someone of the calibre of John Feehan to take over as our CEO. His commercial acumen, coupled with his proven and extensive track record in sports administration, make him a natural fit for the job.
"I really feel that with John at the helm it will herald an exciting time for basketball. He has demonstrated a huge hunger to take on the role and has impressed us with his ambitious plans.”
