The NFL’s hiring of a chief operating officer is the first major organizational change in Commissioner Roger Goodell’s decade running the league, underscoring the growing challenges of the business, from its size and sophistication to its media attention.
The announcement that longtime team executive Tod Leiweke would join the league as COO comes after a year of tough challenges and withering criticism of the commissioner’s handling of issues ranging from Ray Rice to the Tom Brady suspension. Last week, Goodell’s leadership was once again in the spotlight after his once close ally, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, slammed the commissioner and the league office for upholding Brady’s suspension.
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Tod Leiweke accepts Profesional Sports Team of the Year for the Seattle Sounders in 2010.
Photo by: SHANA WITTENWYLER
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Whether Goodell could have avoided these pitfalls with Leiweke at his side is unknown, but the hiring of the industry veteran drew industry praise because he’s known as an effective operator after more than 30 years in sports business, including stints running three teams.
His arrival should allow Goodell to move away from day-to-day minutiae and focus more on the big picture of what is now a $12 billion-a-year enterprise.
“It is a much larger organization than when Roger first became commissioner,” said David Moross, an equity fund executive who is friends with Goodell. “It is a complicated organization, and to have someone who understands the nuances will allow Roger to think of the bigger issues. And he has very big ideas on how to expand the product, how to expand the brand.”
To allow for that, Goodell enacted a broad reorganization of his executive team. Only three other executives — Eric Grubman, Jeff Pash and Joe Siclare — will now report to Goodell. Brian Rolapp, the powerful head of media and sponsorships; Troy Vincent, who runs football operations; Jeff Miller, who runs player health and safety; and Paul Hicks, who runs communications, will report to Leiweke when he assumes his post late this month.
Neither the NFL nor Leiweke would comment on the move.
It’s too early to determine if any major changes occur under Leiweke’s operational control, but he’s been praised over the years as an effective leader who is highly regarded by staff. One of the hallmarks of Goodell’s tenure has been his loyalty, as he has had little turnover among his top lieutenants and has stuck by executives even during questions over the league’s handling of certain issues. That will be an area to watch under Leiweke.
One thing Leiweke is not is a successor in waiting. Even though Goodell ascended from the COO role, sources close to the league said not only is Leiweke not akin to a deputy commissioner, he may leave the league if and when Goodell does.
The two became close while Leiweke worked in Seattle, and he asked Goodell to join him in climbing Mount Rainer in July 2009, which Goodell called the most “physical, emotional and probably mental” challenge of his life.
When owners elected him commissioner in 2006, the hands-on Goodell purposefully chose not to fill his previous position, instead having a large range of executives report directly to him.
As the business boomed, doubling in size over the last decade, that structure dragged Goodell into ever-more granular decisions. Frank Supovitz, the former senior vice president of events at the NFL, recalled Goodell getting intimately involved in snow removal plans before the New York/New Jersey Super Bowl.
“Not everything needs the commissioner’s blessing to move forward,” Supovitz said. “This should really enable the commissioner to concentrate on important policy decisions.”
Goodell had been looking for a COO for two years, predating the player issues of the past year. He consulted with management experts, though it is not believed the league retained a search firm to fill the position. While owners did not push specifically for any individual or a timetable on filling the role, sources said, some had encouraged the commissioner to make a big move like this.
Goodell was in talks with several candidates, sources said, before choosing Leiweke. A former Seattle Seahawks executive, he has run the Tampa Bay Lightning since 2010.
Leiweke only spoke to the Tampa Bay Times after the move was announced and cited his longtime friendship and respect for Goodell as a reason for the move.
Marc Ganis, a sports consultant with ties to the NFL, said Leiweke’s experience running an NFL team for seven years, and attending owners meetings as Seahawks owner Paul Allen’s representative, would greatly aid him in the position. A frequent gripe among teams is that the league office does not understand their concerns. Leiweke by contrast comes from a team-only background.
“He is a consensus builder,” said Supovitz, who worked with Leiweke not only in the NFL but also in the NHL more than a decade ago (Leiweke at the Minnesota Wild and Supovitz the league.) “He is an amazing catch for the NFL.”
Leiweke is the younger brother of Tim Leiweke, who has had major roles in sports running AEG and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. At AEG, the older Leiweke led a forceful but unsuccessful push to build an NFL stadium in Los Angeles, an effort that was superseded by owner-led efforts.
Because Grubman, the senior executive in charge of the NFL’s efforts to relocate to Los Angeles, reports directly to Goodell, a Leiweke will not be directly involved in the NFL/Los Angeles mix.
