Agency signs 7-foot-9 Gators center Olivier Rioux, seeing potential with his brand — and play

Olivier Rioux, the Florida Gators’ astonishingly tall 7-foot-9 center, redshirted last season for development and has yet to make his on-court debut for UF. Still, he has already become something of a celebrity.

A video of Rioux cutting down the nets without using a ladder after Florida won the SEC Tournament title in March went viral. Last month, he gained more attention during the national championship Gators’ visit to the White House, when President Donald Trump commented on his height — and looks — during an Oval Office photo shoot.

Meanwhile, Rioux is perhaps most well-known in his hometown of Montreal, Canada.

“I can tell you everywhere we go (in Montreal), Ollie is being stopped by fans,” said Peter Yannopoulos, who has known Rioux for several years. “Stopped by younger fans. By adults. And it’s not only, ‘Hey, can I take a picture with you because you’re tall.’ They’re like, ‘Hey, congratulations on the title. Go Gators.’ And Ollie is just really proud to be a Gator.”

Yannopoulos, a former coach at UMass with decades of experience in basketball, media and marketing, is a certified NBA agent who serves as president and founding partner of Athletes in Power Sports Management. The company’s mission is to “empower athletes globally by providing exceptional representation, career development, and personalized support that aligns athletic and financial potential.”

The UF center signed with an agency this week

Earlier this week, Yannopoulos, a longtime Montreal resident, signed Rioux—a rising redshirt freshman at Florida—as a client.

“I’ve been following Olivier since he was 12 years old here in Montreal,” Yannopoulos said. “We’re both from the same city and I’ve been involved with basketball for over 30 years. Ollie was 7-foot-3 when he was like 13 years old. Just followed his trajectory. Got to know his parents. And his brother. And just built a relationship that way and just supported him along his journey. He just kept getting better and better and we stayed close over the years. … We decided to collaborate together and Ollie said he wanted me to represent him. It’s a great fit both ways.”

The future could be bright for Olivier Rioux on the court and off it

With Rioux, Yannopoulos anticipates a range of marketing opportunities.

“We are current working with a couple of brands, trying to identify some partnerships that really align with Ollie’s values,” Yannopoulos said. “He’s somebody that’s very proud of his hometown here in Montreal and in Canada. He wants to work with some companies there and also North America.”

Yannopoulos is also optimistic about Rioux’s basketball future. Rioux has spent the past three weeks in Montreal training for Team Canada’s Under-19 camp. At Florida, several key big men return from the 2025 national championship squad—including forward Alex Condon and centers Rueben Chinyelu and Micah Handlogten—but those close to Rioux hope his time on the court is coming soon.

For now, Rioux is primarily known for his extraordinary height. But his profile is rising and Yannopoulos believes his growing basketball skills and likable personality will soon combine to create a powerful brand.

“Ollie is a unique talent,” Yannopoulos said. “He’s very tall but he’s a very skilled and talented basketball player and athlete who just keeps getting better and better. With his size and his personality, people gravitate to him. He’s somebody that people just love seeing. They love taking pictures with him. Love interacting.

He’s great with the people and as his talent continues to develop there are opportunities specifically here in Canada. A lot of brands want to associate themselves with a rising talented player like Ollie. I can tell you Ollie’s brand is growing every single day.”