Brian Facchini enters his sixth season with the Detroit Lions as Chief Communications and Brand Officer. In his current role, Facchini oversees all aspects of team communication, marketing, brand management, game presentation and community relations. Originally hired as the club's Senior Vice President/Chief Communications Officer in 2021, Facchini assumed leadership of the organization's entire communications and brand efforts in 2022. He works closely with Principal Owner Sheila Hamp and President and CEO Rich Haddad on communications and brand strategy for the Lions.
As a part of his duties overseeing the Lions brand, Facchini led the creation of Detroit Lions current uniforms that feature home blue, road white and alternate black jersey combinations that provide a modern-classic look to the Lions' on-field performance. He was also integral, in connection with Nike and the NFL, in the creation and launch of the Lions Rivalries uniforms this season. Facchini also helped lead the organization's efforts surrounding the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit. The event, which set an event attendance record with more than 775,000 people visiting the city over three days, was a collaborative effort across the team, city and county officials.
Under his leadership the organization has seen tremendous brand growth and success, including 28 Michigan Emmys awarded to the Lions content team – One Pride Productions. During the 2022-23 season the Detroit Lions communications team was the recipient of the Pete Rozelle Award. The award is given annually by the Professional Football Writers of America to the team communications staff that consistently strives for excellence in its dealings with the media.
Prior to joining the Lions, Facchini spent 10 years in various communications leadership roles at Nike Inc. During his time with the global sportswear giant, he led communications efforts across Nike Athletes and Sports Marketing, Nike Global Basketball, and the Jordan Brand. Facchini spearheaded key product and brand initiatives around some of the biggest moments in the sports world including NBA, WNBA, and college tentpole events, the Olympic Games and the World Cup. He operated as a part of teams that drove unprecedented growth across the Jordan Brand and Nike Basketball business units, including working directly on some of Nike's most iconic athlete brands.
Facchini began his professional career in the NBA where he held key communications roles for the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, and the Portland Trailblazers. During his 12 seasons in the league, Facchini enjoyed increasing levels of leadership in communications, community relations and player relations. Throughout his time in the league, he worked with four NBA MVP's, seven Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer's and was a part of the Spurs organization when they captured the 2005 NBA Championship. Facchini sits on the board of the Detroit Lions Foundation and is currently sits a board member of CATCH Charity for Children and Detroit PAL.
A Portland, Ore. native, Facchini attended Washington State University and Portland State University with a focus on History. He and his wife Summer have two children, Grace and Lucas.
