FS Detroit producer brings Detroit sports action to your television set every night

By Mike Moore
C & G Sports Writer

Editor’s note: In a continuation of Mike Moore’s “Great Sports Jobs” series, we take a look at FS Detroit producer Mark Iacofano who brings his vision of Red Wings, Pistons and Tigers games to your living room.

DETROIT — Mark Iacofano has the best job in the world, just ask any of his friends.

“They tell me that all the time,” Iacofano said with a smile and a quick shake of his head. “They think I work about four hours a day and see every Tigers game of the season. It’s pretty funny.”

And accurate — somewhat.

“I certainly work more than they think,” said Iacofano while standing just outside Comerica Park on a warm and sunny July 8 afternoon. At roughly 4:30 p.m., he had already put in more than three hours of work, going through a routine he’s become very accustom to.

Sports fans may have heard his name mentioned before, although his face is as unrecognizable as his last name is difficult to pronounce. But without his work, those next-day discussions about last night’s game would be limited to only those lucky enough to have been in attendance.

His job title is producer — for the Tigers, Red Wings and Pistons — but in reality, he’s a maestro, conducting his grand opera in front of hundreds of thousands of viewers on a nightly basis.

“In a way, my vision is what people watching at home see,” said Iacofano, a Lake Orion resident who grew up in Cleveland. “People don’t realize the work that goes into putting a game on the air. From the office personnel to the stage manager, to the commentators to the people in the truck, it’s a complete team effort every time.”

But he’s the leader, the man with the “C” on his shirt, if you will.

For a 7:05 p.m. Tigers game, Iacofano is usually at Comerica by 1 p.m.

 “We’ll fire up the truck, cameras and anything else we need,” he explained. “Whatever preproduction material we’re going to use, we’ll start working on. We build graphics, gather sound bites from players and coaches, line up highlights and introductions, prepare the audio clips … essentially, everything we are going to possibly use during the broadcast is done beforehand.”

Most of that is completed before the crew of 30 to 40 takes its lunch break around 4:30 p.m.

After dining, things kick into another gear.

“I’ll talk with Mario (Impemba) and Rod (Allen) about the pregame elements, what they’re going to discuss and the kinds of graphics they’ll need,” Iacofano said. “We’ll rehearse the pregame show, dot our i’s and cross all our t’s.”

Though he’s been in this position more than a thousand times before, as the minutes tick away and the sound of the FS Detroit theme song draws closer, the adrenaline and nerves are still there.

 “Once that red light goes on, you get that rush,” said Iacofano smiling. “We want people at home to feel like they have the best seat in the building.”

He oversees the activities of 20-30 people in the production truck, cues replays, graphics, stat boxes, camera angles, audio and everything in between. He summed up his job as simply as he could by saying, “I try to make Mario and Rod look as good as possible.”

He’s in constant communication with the Tigers broadcast team throughout the game. He informs them of graphics about to appear on screen, describes when or what type of replay is set to roll, and does his best to accommodate a request from the broadcast booth.

“Anything and everything we do well starts with Mark,” Impemba said. “The toughest part of a broadcast for us is juggling all the different things we have to take care of, on top of talking about a baseball game. He’s the guy that keeps us focused and on track. He keeps this ship steering in the right direction.”

“He gets it,” Allen said of Iacofano. “A great leader. A great communicator. He understands what it takes to do this. … We’re at a point now where he’ll know exactly what kind of replay to send me without me even asking.”

From the field to the truck

“I always wanted to be a major league player,” Iacofano said of his career, which included time on the University of Dayton team. “Then, when I was 22, I essentially had a scout tell me I couldn’t run and I couldn’t hit.”

As the door closed on his playing days, a window opened on a career in television.
He had spent the last two years of college taking courses in television production and received Bachelor of Arts in communications. He worked in a number of small markets at first, using internships and less-glamorous jobs as away to move ahead.

“You have to cut your teeth and learn the business,” he laughed. “Experience is everything.”

And it’s been the experiences he’s enjoyed over the years that make the long nights and road trips — he is one of eight staff members who travel with the team — worth every minute.

“I’ll never forget (Justin) Verlander’s no-hitter a couple seasons ago and how crazy it was trying to juggle replays and capture the emotion on the field,” Iacofano said. “In 2006, when they clinched the playoffs in Kansas City, I was talking to Mario and Rod and trying to figure out the locker room scene and who we’d interview next. … Sometimes, the more hectic things are the more fun it all is.”

He spoke with a certain pride while describing his job,  adding credence to how his friends feel about his job.

“It’s tough to argue their premise,” said Iacofano. “I feel like I do have the best job in the world.”

You can reach Sports Writer Mike Moore at mmoore@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1038.