Three decades ago, Marty Hurney got his NFL start in the public-relations office of the franchise. Prior to that, he covered the team as a newspaper man for four years. Now, the Washington Football Team reportedly has named Hurney as its newest general manager.
According to NFL Network, Hurney will follow his former head coach, Ron Rivera, up the coast from the Carolina Panthers to Washington.
Sources: The Washington Football Team is finalizing a deal with Marty Hurney to be its new GM. The Team should announce the move later today.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 19, 2021
Hurney, 65, was fired — for a second time — by the Panthers back in December after Carolina’s 4-10 start. He rejoined the team in 2017 as interim GM after former Panthers GM Dave Gettleman was let go that year. Hurney originally joined the Panthers back in 1998, first as director of football administration, then as director of player operations.
In 2002, Hurney was named Panthers GM for the first time. He oversaw the franchise’s most successful run as Carolina won five division titles, made the postseason seven times and reached two Super Bowls.
But it was clear under new ownership that Hurney and the new regime there didn’t see eye to eye on how to run personnel.
“Listen, Marty is a little more traditional, and I’m a little more data-driven and analytical,” Panthers owner David Tepper said in December.
Hurney got his professional start in journalism. He covered Washington in the 1980s with the Washington Times before being hired by the team in public relations by then owner Jack Kent Cooke. When Bobby Beathard left the franchise in 1990 to be the San Diego Chargers’ GM, he brought Hurney with him as his assistant GM.
Hurney and Rivera worked well together during their seven years together in Carolina. Kyle Smith, Washington’s vice president of player personnel (and de facto GM along with Rivera), was not interviewed for the top role despite spending the past 11 years with the franchise. It’s not known what Smith’s role might be now.
The team also spoke with San Francisco 49ers VP of player personnel (and former Detroit Lions GM) Martin Mayhew, Tennessee Titans vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden, Chargers director of player personnel JoJo Wooden, Washington director of pro personnel Eric Stokes, Falcons Director of football operations Nick Polk for the GM spot before hiring Hurney.
Rivera appears to wield a lot of power in Washington. He’s brought a slew of coaches, scouts and operational employees from Carolina and maintains a lot of personnel say in addition to his head-coaching duties.
The Washington Football Team won the NFC East at 7-9 this season — despite a lot of turmoil on the way — and lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the opening round of the playoffs. Washington selects 19th overall in Round 1 of the 2021 NFL draft, and one of Hurney’s hallmarks from his picks in Carolina was that his first-round success rate was higher than many of his contemporaries.
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