Hurney (r) first served as Panthers GM from '02-12 before being re-hired for the position in '17getty images
The NFL Panthers have "fired" GM Marty Hurney after dropping to 4-10 on the season, according to Alaina Getzenberg of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. Panthers Owner David Tepper in the team's release said, "Sometimes you just need a restart, a refresh." In the past, Tepper has "referenced the organization wanting to be more analytics-focused." Getzenberg notes Hurney, who "helped hire head coach Matt Rhule, is known for focusing on scouting college players and has a more 'traditional approach.'" Hurney first served as Panthers GM from '02-12 and was fired during the '12 season before being re-hired for the position in '17. Tepper, Rhule and VP/Communications & External Affairs Steven Drummond will "lead the search for a new general manager, which will begin immediately." Tepper said, "You look at successful organizations, and there’s a certain alignment between the head coach and the GM. To think that you can do that without some sort of alignment is nuts. So to not have a head coach with some input into that is stupid. I don’t want to be stupid, OK?" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 12/21).
NEW ERA IN CAROLINA: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said the Panthers and people around the league "have a lot of respect for Marty Hurney." But he added, "It would be stupid, in Tepper’s words, to have a situation where you did not have alignment from the head coach and general manager.” Rapoport: “With a couple weeks left in the season, they get a little bit of a jump on the general manager search. ... This is going to be a very coveted opening.” Rapoport continued, “Five GM openings already and the season is not even done yet.” NFL Network’s Kay Adams said, “This one is a little bit surprising to me." NFL Network’s Peter Schrager added, “This is just a new era. They’re going to go younger, and they’re going to go with somebody who Matt Rhule and David Tepper hand pick” (“Good Morning Football,” NFL Network, 12/21).
