Agent Name: Paul Coggiola
New Company: LIFT Sports Management
Department: Creators Division (Creators, Sports, Brand Partnerships)
Previous Company: United Talent Agency (UTA)
Territory: Primarily North America
- Veteran gaming and esports agent Paul Coggiola exits UTA to lead LIFT Creators, a new digital influencer division within athlete-representation firm LIFT Management.
- Coggiola brings a roster of high-profile creators including Kickball Dad, Sydney Carter, Stu Holden, Treasure Wilson, Rainbow Dads, Imperial Hal, and DougDoug to the newly formed division.
- The move signals major expansion for LIFT Sports Management, traditionally a sports-focused firm, now positioning itself at the intersection of entertainment, lifestyle, and digital culture.
- Coggiola will provide digital marketing strategy and leverage LIFT’s existing sports verticals to build distinct brand partnerships and content opportunities for creators.
Veteran agent Paul Coggiola has left UTA to lead LIFT Creators, a new division of athlete-representation firm LIFT Sports Management focused on digital influencers, with Coggiola serving as president of this expanded segment.
The transition marks a significant pivot for LIFT Sports Management, which has historically dominated sports representation across NBA, WNBA, and NFL athletes.
At UTA, Coggiola led the agency’s sports crossover team, and he’s already brought high-profile creators including Kickball Dad, Sydney Carter, Stu Holden, Treasure Wilson, RainbowDads, Imperial Hal, and DougDoug to join him at LIFT.
This move represents a smart strategy for the creator economy, much like recent industry shifts where agencies expand beyond traditional talent silos, similar to how executives are shaping the future of talent representation by recognizing creators as essential modern storytellers.
Coggiola will remain based in L.A. and assist with digital marketing strategy while maximizing LIFT’s traditional talent verticals alongside their representation duties.
According to Coggiola, “I look forward to building a distinct platform and providing tools that let their voices travel farther than ever before. This new division isn’t just about content, it’s about empowering people with ideas to reach the world.”
His appointment mirrors a wider industry trend of major sports and talent firms doubling down on creator-focused representation, echoed in moves like Josh Pyatt joining WTSL and WIN Sports Group.
Takeaways
This move isn’t just about one agent switching shops, it’s a masterclass in how traditional talent representation is evolving.
LIFT Sports Management recognizing that creators command culture means the firm understands that influence now flows through TikTok, Twitch, and YouTube as much as it does through sports endorsement deals.
Coggiola’s crossover expertise in both sports and gaming/esports gives him a unique vantage point to build authentic bridges between creators and brands looking for genuine partnerships.
The real story here is normalization. Creator representation at a sports management powerhouse signals that digital influencers aren’t a side project anymore, they’re a core revenue stream worthy of senior leadership focus. This sets up LIFT to compete for top creative talent in ways traditional agencies can’t.
Will more top creators follow Coggiola to hybrid sports-and-creator firms like LIFT? Could creator divisions soon rival traditional talent departments in size and power?
