ZRG’s Chad Chatlos Named to USA TODAY’s List of The 25 Most Influential People in College Football

ROCHELLE PARK, N.J. and ATLANTA, Aug. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ZRG, the world’s fastest-growing full-service talent advisory firm and USA TODAY’s “most respected search firm in college sports,” announced today that Chad Chatlos, Managing Director at TurnkeyZRG, has been named by USA TODAY to its list of the 25 Most Powerful People in College Football heading into the 2025 season.

Chatlos is recognized alongside conference commissioners, university presidents, media executives, coaches, and agents for his impact in shaping the leadership landscape of the sport. USA TODAY highlighted his track record of leading searches for the most critical positions in college athletics, including:

• Commissioner searches for the Big Ten and Big 12
• Athletic Director and Head Coach placements at programs such as Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Michigan State
• Key executive leadership roles across the NCAA and Power Five conferences
  

In fact, among this weekend’s opening slate of games, 10 of the AP Top 25’s head coaches on the sidelines were placed by Chatlos—a testament to the depth of his influence on the sport’s trajectory.

TurnkeyZRG’s reputation as the most respected search firm in college sports is no accident. Under the leadership of Len Perna, ZRG’s sports & entertainment practice has consistently been tapped to handle the industry’s most visible and sensitive leadership transitions.

“Chad has become the trusted voice in college athletics when the stakes are highest,” said Larry Hartmann, CEO of ZRG. “But his impact also reflects something larger: ZRG’s ability to serve as a trusted partner at the very top of industries. Whether it’s helping shape the leadership of the Big Ten or guiding a Fortune 500 board in a CEO transition, ZRG is where organizations turn when the future is on the line.”

Hartmann added: “We are proud that in college sports—just as in private equity, healthcare, technology, higher education, and countless other industries—the most respected names rely on ZRG to get their most important leadership decisions right. That breadth and consistency is what sets us apart.”

Chatlos joined ZRG in 2020 and quickly built a reputation as the industry’s leading search executive in college sports. His ability to combine deep relationships, creative problem-solving, and the backing of ZRG’s data-driven platform has made him a key figure in shaping decisions that impact the direction of entire programs and conferences.

“College athletics is evolving faster than ever, and the leadership decisions being made today will define the future of the sport,” Chatlos said. “I’m honored to be included on this list and proud of the role ZRG plays in helping our partners—across both sports and business—make the right calls. But what we do is also a team sport, and I couldn’t do it without Katy Young Staudt, Jocelyn Gates, and Tucker Lewis—key members of our college sports practice who make this work possible every day.”

The full USA TODAY ranking, which also includes SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, University of Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders, and ESPN analyst and former Alabama head coach Nick Saban, is available here: USA TODAY’s “College football’s 25 most powerful people.”

As the 2025 season kicks off with Week 1 games this weekend, ZRG continues to stand at the center of the decisions that shape the future of college sports—and the business world at large.

About ZRG
ZRG is a global talent advisory firm that is revolutionizing how companies hire and manage talent. With a data-driven approach to executive and professional search, ZRG is changing the way clients think about finding top talent. The company’s digital Zi platform combines talent intelligence, candidate insights, and process improvements to deliver executive searches more quickly and with proven better results.

Backed by private equity investor RFE Investment Partners, ZRG is the fastest-growing firm in the search industry, offering a full suite of retained search, on-demand talent, and consulting and advisory solutions across the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Australia.

About RFE Investment Partners
Founded in 1979, RFE Investment Partners is a private equity investor with a long-standing small buyout heritage and a time-tested strategy for growing businesses. RFE equips companies with the capabilities and resources to scale by leveraging the extensive operational expertise, financial acumen, and broad business network of the RFE team. Through over 75 small buyout transactions, RFE has consistently guided portfolio companies through multiple business cycles while driving value creation. In December 2018, RFE invested in ZRG to provide the tools and guidance needed to expand the company’s capabilities and product offerings on an international scale.

Contact: John Mooney, Over the Moon PR, (908) 720-6057, john@overthemoonpr.com

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