Michigan head coach Brady Hoke

Michigan football coach Brady Hoke, pictured, is among those Korn Ferry's Jed Hughes has helped place.

(Melanie Maxwell I AnnArbor.com)

AUBURN HILLS -- The Detroit Pistons have retained executive search firm Korn Ferry to assist in their pursuit of a new general manager, with sports-oriented specialist Jed Hughes as point man.

Hughes and Los Angeles-based Korn Ferry won't direct the search but will play an integral role in identifying and contacting potential candidates, a common practice in searches for high-level sports executives.

Hughes has led several such searches, including recently identifying Masai Ujiri, who became Toronto Raptors general manager last year after earning the 2013 NBA Executive of the Year honor with the Denver Nuggets.

Among the candidates Hughes has helped to place is University of Michigan football coach Brady Hoke.

Hughes was an assistant football coach in the 1970s and 1980s, at Stanford, U-M, UCLA, and for the NFL's Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns.

The Pistons' search for a new GM is being spearheaded by Phil Norment and Bob Wentworth, partners in team owner Tom Gores' Platinum Equity.

The Pistons have been without a general manager since president of basketball operations Joe Dumars was reassigned this week to an executive adviser's role outside of basketball operations.

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