John “Rocky” Barrett, Jr.

Chairman | Citizen Potawatomi Nation

EDUCATION

• Princeton University
• University of Oklahoma
• Oklahoma City University, Bachelor of Science in Business
• St. Gregory’s University, Honorary Doctorate in Commercial Services

John A. Barrett, Jr. is a native of Shawnee, Oklahoma, and a graduate of Shawnee High School. His Potawatomi name is Keweoge, meaning “He leads them home.” Chairman Barrett has served as an elected official for the Citizen Potawatomi Nation since 1973 when he was first elected as Vice-Chairman. Tribal Chairman since 1985, Barrett is the eighth generation of his family to serve in elected office for his Tribe. Under his leadership, the Nation has gone from having assets totaling just $550 and less than three acres of land to an entity having an economic impact exceeding $550 million.

During Chairman Barrett’s administration, the Citizen Potawatomi Nation has experienced more than 15 percent average annual growth for more than 20 consecutive years. With more than 2,500 employees, Citizen Potawatomi Nation is the largest employer in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma. He serves as the Chief Executive of the Tribe, presiding over the 16-member Tribal Legislature that enacts the laws and ordinances under which it is governed. His elected position as Tribal Chairman also requires him to direct the tribe’s administrative functions and commercial activities. He was instrumental in the creation and adoption of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation’s current constitution and statutes which have led to the Nation’s extended period of stability and progress.

He has guest lectured at Harvard University for the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development and as a guest lecturer at the Banff Center in Banff, Alberta, Canada to the assembled Canadian First Nations on the same topics. He serves on the International Advisory Council of the Native Nations Institute was founded by the Morris Udall Foundation at the University of Arizona and the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. He served as a delegate of the United States Federally Recognized Tribes to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples at The Hague, Switzerland, which provided the International Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People approved by the United Nations Committee on Human Rights and the United Nations General Assembly.

MEMBERSHIPS/PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

• Board Member – First National Bank & Trust Co
• Past Director – Omniplex Air and Space Museum/Kirkpatrick Center
• Chairman – Board of Rainbow Development Corporation
• Past Member – Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission
• Delegate – National Tribal Self Governance Advisory Committee
• Delegate – National Congress of American Indians
• Past Member – Pottawatomie County Historical Society
• Past Member – National Tribal Chairman’s Association
• Founder – National Indian Action Contractor Association

David J. Qualls

General Manager

Mark Dannhoff

Head Coach

Mark Dannhoff led the Potawatomi Fire to the 2023 The Basketball League (TBL) Championship in his first season with the club. He was hired as the new head coach for the Fire in the summer of 2022. Prior to game 2 of the regional finals versus Seattle, Dannhoff was named 2023 TBL Coach of the Year. In two seasons as a TBL head coach, Dannhoff now has a record of 52-10 (84% winning percentage). The 2023 TBL Championship was Dannhoff’s first full league championship as a head coach. Dannhoff is a motivated and experienced “program builder” with a history of successfully revitalizing and building basketball programs as a head and assistant coach, doing so with integrity, class, and a championship vision. He possesses a high level of competitiveness, dedication, and commitment to success.

In his first season, Dannhoff guided the Enid Outlaws to a regular season Central Conference Championship and a first-round bye in the TBL Playoffs with a 20–4 regular season win–loss record (83% winning percentage). The Outlaws advanced to the Central Conference Finals only to fall short in the third game of the best-of-three series to the eventual TBL champion, Shreveport. In addition to having a very exciting, fast-paced, and explosive offense, the Outlaws finished first in the conference for the fewest points allowed per game and were among the leaders for the entire TBL for wins and winning percentage.

Prior to joining the professional ranks, Dannhoff had 30-plus years of basketball experience under his belt. He has been an assistant on eight Division I collegiate coaching staffs, including Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Georgia State, and Tulane. He has coached more than 70 players who have moved on to play at the professional level, including two players in the NBA (Linton Johnson and Sam Dekker) and four in the NBA Developmental G-League (Including Ra Shawn Thomas, John Jordan, and Bronson Koenig). In addition, he previously served as a member of the NABC D-I Assistant Coaches Committee representing the Southland Conference. During his time at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Dannhoff served as the lead recruiter for some of the top players in the conference including Ehab Amin, John Jordan, Jake Kocher, Zane Knowles, Kareem South, and Tony Lewis.

Emmanuel Toney

Assistant Coach

Emmanuel Toney is entering his second year on the Fire sidelines after helping coach Mark Dannhoff lead the Fire to the 2023 TBL Championship. The Fire assistant coach previously coached under Mark Dannhoff with the in-state TBL rival Enid Outlaws in 2022.

Toney’s collegiate playing career coincided with Dannhoff while at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. “Manny” played for the Islanders from 2013-19 and also played professionally in Canada, China, the Philippines and Mexico from 2019-21.

Toney has also previously been the head freshman basketball coach for Annapolis Area Christian School. He was also in charge of player development in addition to his coaching duties while with Enid.

Rashard Stringfield

Basketball Operations Coordinator

Rashard Stringfield joins the Fire for his third season in TBL. In 2022-23, Rashard was a basketball operations assistant in the NBA G-League with the Wisconsin Herd (Milwaukee Bucks affiliate). Prior to his time in the G-League, Stringfield spent the previous two seasons in TBL with the Little Rock Lightning and Enid Outlaws, and served in a variety of roles assisting with player development, basketball operations, and scouting.

In the summer 2022, Stringfield was a recipient of the inaugural Chris Paul Family Foundation’s HBCU Scholarship to participate in the Sports Business Classroom Business of Basketball Immersive Experience at the NBA Summer League. Rashard earned his B.A. in physical education at Philander Smith College while serving as a student manager for the men’s basketball program during his senior year.

Taylor Williams, M.S., LAT, ATC

Head Athletic Trainer

Taylor is a proud local from Tecumseh, Oklahoma. She started her academic and athletic training journey at Seminole State College where she obtained her associate degree in health science while working with men’s basketball and volleyball. She continued her education at the University of Oklahoma.  

While at the University of Oklahoma, Taylor worked as an athletic training student with track & field, tennis, and football. She graduated with her bachelor’s in exercise science with a minor in psychology in 2019. She finished her education at the University of Central Oklahoma and graduated with her master’s in athletic training in 2021. Taylor is an SSM Health athletic trainer that is contracted to the Potawatomi Fire. 

Taylor’s favorite thing about athletic training is being able to be with an athlete from the initial injury to their return to the court. She is dedicated to keeping Fire athletes safe and healthy. She’s excited to be part of this brand new basketball program built from the ground up minutes from her hometown.

Braden Edwards

Audio/Visual

Braden Edwards came to the Citizen Potawatomi Nation after graduating from Tecumseh High School. While there, he attended Gordon Cooper Technology Center, earning his digital media production certificate. Edward, already employed by CPN, joined the FireLake Arena in 2021 as an audio visual technician. Recently promoted to AV manager, he is quickly gaining speed in his profession.

Edward’s love of technology comes naturally. Primarily self-taught, he has enhanced his skills and developed a career. While attending GCTC, he was named the Digital Media Production Student of the Year. Edward hopes to continue improving his abilities and one day join the film industry.

In his capacity of AV manager, Edward works closely with the Potawatomi Fire to stream games and create social media content, including hype videos for the team and individual players. He sees this as a premier opportunity to strengthen his skills in Shawnee.

Chris Cox

Dir. of Communications/Play-by-Play

Chris Cox joined the Fire prior to their first year in 2022 while working as the News and Sports Director for CPN-owned KGFF Radio (1450 AM/100.9 FM).

Cox is a seasoned broadcaster that has worked as the play-by-play voice for the Shawnee Wolves on KGFF since 2010. He has also called games for several small colleges and has broadcast multiple sports including football, basketball, volleyball, and baseball. Cox has also had the opportunity to call numerous playoff games in his career and has been on the mic for three championship teams: the Potawatomi Fire in 2023, Shawnee High School Wolves baseball in 2017, and the Shawnee Lady Wolves basketball in 2012.

In his role with the Fire, Cox leads the communications strategy to keep the community and TBL informed of what the Fire are doing on and off the court. He can also be heard on TBLTV and KGFF Radio broadcasting every Fire game, home and away.

Cox, a native of Carrollton, Texas, is a 2009 graduate of Oklahoma Christian University with a degree in broadcast journalism. Chris and his wife Kilee have been married since 2009. They live in Edmond with their two kids and cat.