Karim Kassam, Vice President of Product at Teamworks, brings a wealth of experience from leading analytics for teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Twins. In this discussion, he delves into the revolutionary role of AI in sports analytics, transforming decision-making and player performance insights. Karim explores the challenges posed by the college football transfer portal and how technology is reshaping talent management. He emphasizes the unique importance of tailored analytical approaches to stay ahead in the competitive sports landscape.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
From Academia To Pro Sports
Karim Kassam described his path from engineering to a Harvard PhD in psychology and then to Carnegie Mellon faculty before entering sports analytics.
He worked as the first modern data scientist for the Pittsburgh Steelers and later with the Twins and Jaguars before joining Zelus/Teamworks.
insights INSIGHT
Data Growth Enables Scalable Player Traits
Karim says data volume multiplies every few years and AI can now objectively measure player movement and traits at scale.
Centralized analytics teams deliver ROI that few individual teams could economically sustain alone.
question_answer ANECDOTE
A Deep R&D Team
Karim likened Teamworks Intelligence to 'Bell Labs' and noted the team includes about 25 PhDs and many ex-team R&D leaders.
He emphasized combining team-side experience with technical expertise to build impactful tools across five sports.
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Karim Kassam is the Vice President of Product at Teamworks, the leading software platform transforming high-performance operations in sports, military, and public safety sectors. He joined Teamworks through its 2024 acquisition of Zelus Analytics, a premier sports intelligence platform. At Teamworks, Karim leverages his expertise in data science and analytics to integrate Zelus’ cutting-edge solutions into collegiate football, helping organizations unlock transformative insights and achieve peak performance.At Teamworks, Karim is focused on building unified, data-driven systems that empower teams to make smarter decisions, optimize operations, and develop athletes holistically. From predictive models to streamlined workflows, Teamworks Intelligence delivers tools that help organizations evaluate talent, construct rosters, and manage performance with precision. Karim’s work ensures that athletes and staff have the right insights and resources to prepare, compete, and excel.Beyond sports, Karim’s career is defined by a unique blend of academic rigor and practical innovation. Before joining Teamworks, he led data science initiatives for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Twins, and Jacksonville Jaguars, and served as a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Fun fact: Karim earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 2010, where he studied decision processes and emotion—an unusual but powerful lens for sports analytics.Chapters:00:00 Introduction to AI in Sports Analytics01:05 Karim Kassam's Background and Journey02:54 Evolution of Football Analytics04:40 Teamworks Intelligence and AI Innovations07:09 Challenges in College Football Scouting09:28 Key Metrics for Player Evaluation12:45 Comparative Analysis of Sports Analytics14:18 The Imperfection of Talent Identification16:53 The Role of Technology in Team Success18:23 Exciting Developments at Teamworks21:01 Integrating Diverse Solutions at Teamworks22:48 Future Acquisitions and Market StrategyKarim Kassam: 🏠Website: https://teamworks.com/💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karim-kassam-a4369972/Andrew Petcash:🏠 Website: https://profluence.com🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/Thanks for watching! Hit the “subscribe” button to stay updated on new podcasts.
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