ENID, Okla. — Candance Coonrod, manager of live production and game day experience for the Oklahoma City Thunder, discussed her experiences this championship season during a talk Monday, July 28, 2025.
“It was a really exciting season,” Coonrod said. “I had many unbelievable experiences this year with the Thunder and got to hold all the trophies.”
She spoke Monday to members of the Enid Rotary Club at Stride Bank Center.
Coonrod, an Enid native, started working for the Thunder part time when she was 19 and was a student at the University of Oklahoma in journalism and public relations.
“I simply answered the ad and went in for an interview and got the job,” Connrod said. “I never imagined I’d be working in sports for an NBA championship team.”
Coonrod started her college education at Northern Oklahoma College Enid.
“I always knew I’d go to OU but decided to try college first closer to home,” Coonrod said. “I loved going to Northern and got enough credits after one year to do a reverse transfer to OU.”
Some of her courses at OU transferred back to Northern, allowing her to get an associate degree from Northern.
“Jeremy Hise helped me with this degree, and I was so excited when I received it,” Coonrod said.
“I’m really happy we were able to help Candance and we are so proud of her,” said Hise, vice president of NOC Enid.
Candance worked part time for the Thunder from the fall of 2016 until 2019. She worked mainly in the media for the Blue team, which is like the farm team. This also is where coach Mark Daigneault and Alex Caruso started with the Thunder.
Although Caruso left the Blue after a year, the three ended up together again with Oklahoma Thunder for the championship season.
When she graduated from OU, a full-time manager job opened up and Coonrod was hired again.
“When they say this team is like family, they mean it,” she said. “This includes everyone who works for the team.”
Coonrod has numerous responsibilities, but said her job is to make the Thunder a wonderful experience for their guests. The team offers a variety of experiences both in the arena and outside to enhance the live production and game day experience.
One of her responsibilities is getting someone to sing the national anthem before games.
“I really liked working with Ben Rector,” Coonrod said.
Rector is a singer, songwriter and record producer based in Nashville and who is from Tulsa. Coonrod worked to get award-winning actress, singer and Oklahoma native Kristin Chenoweth on several occasions.
Coonrod was able to put it together, and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame inductee and unabashed Thunder fan sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” before Game 7 of the championship series.
Coonrod hopes to have a long career with the Thunder. She doesn’t know if she will have other opportunities with the team.
“Everyone loves working for the Thunder, so there may not be much upward mobility but that is OK,” she said. “I love this job and I love being close to Enid and my family, especially my grandmother.”
Her parents are Larry and Lori Coonrod.