With more than 15 years of partnership, sales, and activation, Banach brings a diverse skill set to the USHL upon his hire in April 2026. In his role with the League, Banach is responsible for expanding the league’s commercial footprint, growing revenue, and establishing strategic partnerships to ensure long-term sustainability, visibility, and continued excellence in player development, fan engagement, and league expansion.
Banach was previously the Director of Corporate and Strategic Partnerships with USA Football. While there, he secured several marquee partnerships while leading strategic planning and fiscal oversight for partnership operations. He served as a key member of USA Football’s leadership team, aligning partnership strategy with organizational and Olympic objectives, while also driving all aspects of new business development. He was directly involved in a multi-year partnership forged between USA Football and Under Armour.
With The Strategic Agency, Banach spent two years managing Ball Corporation’s partnership portfolio with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE), including the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Rams, and SoFi Stadium, demonstrating his ability to reach audiences through original storytelling and marketing campaigns. He oversaw the transition of naming rights from Pepsi Center to the newly named Ball Arena and was also directly involved in strengthening national brand engagement surrounding the Labatt Blue USA Hockey partnership and the New England Pond Hockey Tournament.
In seven years with KSE, Banach ascended from Account Manager to Director of Partnership Marketing. He oversaw partnerships with key members of the entity’s portfolio, including Transamarica, DICK’s Sporting Goods, adidas, Lexus, and Anheuser-Busch, in that span. He started his career in professional hockey as Marketing Coordinator for the American Hockey League (AHL).
Joe resides in Monroe, Connecticut with his wife and two children. Want to get in touch? Reach out at
banach@ushl.com.