He is considered a rising talent in NFL Executive positions but not sure how that parlays into the work required at the college level. He is heavily involved in player contracts and talent appraisal for Bears draft process. I would think those would be a big part of his job as our GM.
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There were a few of us that thought he was worth a look. Hard to judge how his NFL time translates but the "GM" thing in college is so new not many examples of really successful ones to blueprint off of. Hopefully he has the power to shape the football program how he sees fit.
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In general I am extremely hesitant on any "nepotism" hires given how that has not served us well in the past. But I really have no clue on King's credentials or talent that he could bring to the program. If he would be a homerun hire, then I would be all for it. But if this would just be another "Hokie guy" hire, I'd feel like SSDD.
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I'd be really interested to hear his take on the difference between being a GM in the NFL vs college. If he has an appreciation for the additional scouting personnel and time needed along with some ideas on how to best manage building a college roster on a budget then I'm intrigued. But he would also need to bring in some people more familiar with the college game who have an appreciation for the going rate for a starting QB, CB, etc and which positions to spend on.
We'll see how it plays out!
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Agreed, but the concept of a college football GM started like 10 seconds ago. So it's not like there's a large candidate pool to choose from.
A college GM is probably more similar to a pro GM than it is to 90% of other careers a college GM could come from. So as long whoever that ends up being for us, can articulate the differences (of which there are many) and has a reasonable plan for them, i think that's as good as Virginia Tech (or anybody) is going to do
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A college GM is probably more similar to a pro GM than it is to 90% of other careers a college GM could come from
This is where I disagree. I think College GMs are going to be either:
Director of Player Personnel + a spreadsheet - Today, DPP are responsible for overseeing the entire recruiting operation, managing player evaluations, roster organization, and serving as a liaison for compliance and player support. Their role has expanded in recent years to include advanced analytics, transfer portal management, etc. The only 'new' thing added is managing rev share. Which, honestly, I think is a lot simpler than a lot of other pieces of their role.
Associate ADs of Football - An Associate Athletic Director (AD) of Football on a college football team oversees major aspects of the football program's administration, strategic planning, compliance, and external relations. This leadership role functions as a bridge between the athletic department, coaching staff, support units, and university administration, directly managing key areas to support the program's athletic and academic success. The often have some football knowledge, and are expected to have the skillset to evaluate a coach's performance
Both of these titles/roles are pretty common today.
Contrast these jobs to the NFL GM, which is responsible for:
Construct and maintain the team's roster by drafting players, negotiating trades, signing free agents, and releasing or reassigning personnel according to team needs.
Oversee player scouting, including coordinating draft preparations, evaluating college prospects, interviewing athletes at the NFL Combine, and delegating work among a scouting department.
Negotiate player and coach contracts, manage the salary cap, and ensure roster compliance with NFL rules and regulations.
Collaborate with the head coach and owner to formulate team-building strategies and make decisions on hiring or firing coaches and staff.
Has final veto authority on football-related decisions, even above the head coach in most organizations.
Accountable for both the successes and failures of player acquisitions and draft picks, often serving as the key figure held responsible for team performance.
Firing/Hiring staff
At the end of the day, college athletes have significantly more influence over what team they join than NFL players do... and college athletes don't agree to play for a GM; they play for a coach - Players follow a coach when they move (or at least leave their current spot) in an instant. Scheme often changes between coaching hires, so is a GM going to fire a coach then restrict his (or her) replacement search to only people who run the same scheme? I just don't don't buy it. I don't think an NFL GM role is as relevant to college ball as others do.
THAT SAID:
if there's an antitrust exemption that passes, and that restricts player movement, then everything changes, and I can see the NFL model being more applicable
I do think the NFL model is better at lower level schools that want to run a specific system (the Dakotas, the service academies, etc)
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I would argue that the activities for "Director of Player Personnel + Spreadsheet" and NFL GM are more similar than they are dissimilar. At its core, they boil down to "what are the desired players for our football team" with "how do we get and keep these players".
Obvious (and significant) differences being what you mentioned: college players have virtually unrestricted movement, they don't sign with the GM, essentially renegotiating for money every year, etc.
Also I think it's very unlikely an NFL GM is leaving their job to become a college GM, so likely you'd be getting someone from an NFL front office who would probably be more aligned to the specific activities of a college GM (i.e. head of scouting, analytics, etc.)
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I look at what Andrew Luck is doing at Stanford... he's involved with Practices occasionally, he's going to dictate the high level scheme his coaches run (Frank Reich is an interm - when he's fired, Luck is going to hire a coach to run a scheme he thinks they should run). Luck is the driver of scouting. He will fire a coach, etc.
I don't see that model holding up at most place. Stanford is unique and I think it might work there.
But they don't build statues for GMs, and I don't think they ever will.
But I could be very, very wrong.
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I think it's going to lean toward the DPP, but with added responsibilities similar to an NFL GM. I think they will be responsible for leading the recruiting efforts (maybe not closing the deal), scouting the portal or the potential portal, hiring/firing non-coaching staff, ensuring roster compliance and managing NIL/revenue sharing. I think it will also have elements of the Assistant AD of football (whose R&Rs are similar to an NFL GM from an operational standpoint).
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Asked what he enjoys most about free agency, King said: "What excites me the most isn't the top-end guys, to be quite honest. Those are pretty easy evaluations. It's finding the value. It's hard to say every year we got value here in free agency because it's the open market. But the real joy in free agency is finding the minimum guy, finding the guy that signed in the third wave that ends up starting, playing 17 games."
This to me bodes well for Hokies Portal pursuits.
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While King has the credentials for this job and is also from my home town, i sincerely hope this isnt another trek down the path of well he is a "VT guy"
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I sincerely think in this case, he is absolutely qualified for the job, has experience and the fact that he is an ex-Hokie in this situation I believe will only help him be successful.
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Really cool. Remember watching King as a VT TE back in the day. And playing NCAA 06 throwing tuddies to him and yelling "JEFF KING!" Very intriguing news.
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For everyone worried about the potential "nepotism" part of this... Jeff King actually has credentials to be successful in a role like this. He is very well respected and considered a rising star in the executive side of the NFL.
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I questioned it as well because taking this job would be akin to him giving up on getting a NFL GM spot, and by all accounts it seems like he has a good shot to land a spot somewhere in the next few years. That is not to say that you could go from College GM to NFL GM but I think if NFL GM is really what he is shooting for then staying on his current path would be the way.
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Maybe. But if he does come here and completely revitalizes the program, would that make him more attractive for an NFL GM position? Quite possibly, yes.
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I would hazard a guess that all of the finalists had resumes that were similar in quality. If we get somebody with the wealth of experience that Jeff King has, whether it's Jeff King or not, I'll be thrilled.
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There is really no evidence any current GM has been overly successful regardless of their background. This is an office/position that is in its infancy across college football. Hard to discount the experience of someone with an NFL background versus "knows college ball" when the ins and outs of the portal, the NIL landscape and almost every other aspect of the financial landscape of college football are being overwritten every year and in some cases week to week. There aren't many college background guys that have much experience in contracts and the business side of this emerging field and when it comes to talent evaluation and approach I think it really will come down to how well they identify staff to pursue this.
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There is also zero evidence that NFL guys won't work in a GM type of position (not coaching - plenty of evidence of that). There is actually no data either way. It really depends on what the structure of the organization is and the roles and responsibilities are as to whether or not an NFL front office type can be successful as a GM at the college level.
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As this thread remains near the top of the tracker, I suggest that the title be renamed to something like "Discussion: Jeff King candidate for new Tech GM". The title makes it sound like he was hired.
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Comments
Where is he right now?
Chicago Bears Senior Director of Player Personnel
Has interviewed at least twice for NFL GM jobs.
Would this be a good hire for us? Outside of the fact that he was a tight end I had found memories of.
He is considered a rising talent in NFL Executive positions but not sure how that parlays into the work required at the college level. He is heavily involved in player contracts and talent appraisal for Bears draft process. I would think those would be a big part of his job as our GM.
Having seen some bears games recently... ummmmm
Someone on here predicted this. Nice work!
There were a few of us that thought he was worth a look. Hard to judge how his NFL time translates but the "GM" thing in college is so new not many examples of really successful ones to blueprint off of. Hopefully he has the power to shape the football program how he sees fit.
In general I am extremely hesitant on any "nepotism" hires given how that has not served us well in the past. But I really have no clue on King's credentials or talent that he could bring to the program. If he would be a homerun hire, then I would be all for it. But if this would just be another "Hokie guy" hire, I'd feel like SSDD.
I'd be really interested to hear his take on the difference between being a GM in the NFL vs college. If he has an appreciation for the additional scouting personnel and time needed along with some ideas on how to best manage building a college roster on a budget then I'm intrigued. But he would also need to bring in some people more familiar with the college game who have an appreciation for the going rate for a starting QB, CB, etc and which positions to spend on.
We'll see how it plays out!
Same. I think that - at least until there's an antitrust exemption and/OR CBA - these jobs are pretty different
Agreed, but the concept of a college football GM started like 10 seconds ago. So it's not like there's a large candidate pool to choose from.
A college GM is probably more similar to a pro GM than it is to 90% of other careers a college GM could come from. So as long whoever that ends up being for us, can articulate the differences (of which there are many) and has a reasonable plan for them, i think that's as good as Virginia Tech (or anybody) is going to do
This is where I disagree. I think College GMs are going to be either:
Both of these titles/roles are pretty common today.
Contrast these jobs to the NFL GM, which is responsible for:
At the end of the day, college athletes have significantly more influence over what team they join than NFL players do... and college athletes don't agree to play for a GM; they play for a coach - Players follow a coach when they move (or at least leave their current spot) in an instant. Scheme often changes between coaching hires, so is a GM going to fire a coach then restrict his (or her) replacement search to only people who run the same scheme? I just don't don't buy it. I don't think an NFL GM role is as relevant to college ball as others do.
THAT SAID:
I would argue that the activities for "Director of Player Personnel + Spreadsheet" and NFL GM are more similar than they are dissimilar. At its core, they boil down to "what are the desired players for our football team" with "how do we get and keep these players".
Obvious (and significant) differences being what you mentioned: college players have virtually unrestricted movement, they don't sign with the GM, essentially renegotiating for money every year, etc.
Also I think it's very unlikely an NFL GM is leaving their job to become a college GM, so likely you'd be getting someone from an NFL front office who would probably be more aligned to the specific activities of a college GM (i.e. head of scouting, analytics, etc.)
I look at what Andrew Luck is doing at Stanford... he's involved with Practices occasionally, he's going to dictate the high level scheme his coaches run (Frank Reich is an interm - when he's fired, Luck is going to hire a coach to run a scheme he thinks they should run). Luck is the driver of scouting. He will fire a coach, etc.
I don't see that model holding up at most place. Stanford is unique and I think it might work there.
But they don't build statues for GMs, and I don't think they ever will.
But I could be very, very wrong.
I think it's going to lean toward the DPP, but with added responsibilities similar to an NFL GM. I think they will be responsible for leading the recruiting efforts (maybe not closing the deal), scouting the portal or the potential portal, hiring/firing non-coaching staff, ensuring roster compliance and managing NIL/revenue sharing. I think it will also have elements of the Assistant AD of football (whose R&Rs are similar to an NFL GM from an operational standpoint).
Here is his Wiki page
Worked his way up from Scout Intern to being head of Player Personnel over last ten years with the Chicago Bears
Has interviewed for the Chargers and Raiders GM jobs in the last couple years.
This article is worth looking at about King
This to me bodes well for Hokies Portal pursuits.
While King has the credentials for this job and is also from my home town, i sincerely hope this isnt another trek down the path of well he is a "VT guy"
I sincerely think in this case, he is absolutely qualified for the job, has experience and the fact that he is an ex-Hokie in this situation I believe will only help him be successful.
I may be wrong but I think this is a tremendous hire
Not to be that guy, but source?
Trust me bro
Fret not, I was also going to be that guy, but you got there first.
Snitches get stitches. Reliable source .
Glowing article on King from 2023: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4347333/2023/03/27/bears-jeff-king-player-personnel/
Really cool. Remember watching King as a VT TE back in the day. And playing NCAA 06 throwing tuddies to him and yelling "JEFF KING!" Very intriguing news.
Not forgetting him also bodying Duke PFs that year too
Wait holy shit did I call it?
Alum07. Patron saint of patting oneself on the back
It's a tough job but someone has to do it
I guess but also. Everybody knew he would get a look.
happy with this
if true
For everyone worried about the potential "nepotism" part of this... Jeff King actually has credentials to be successful in a role like this. He is very well respected and considered a rising star in the executive side of the NFL.
As a fellow (new) NNKer, I'd love to sit down with you sometime and hear what else the grapevine has to say!
Your friend gave you bad info
Do you have friends that gave you good info you can share with the rest of the class?
I'm seeing all kinds of upvotes but no actual news
They have their guy, just not announced yet. Gotta work out the details and put ink to paper...
You been round here long enough, you know LAhokie gots connections
I feel somewhat vindicated in questioning this now
I questioned it as well because taking this job would be akin to him giving up on getting a NFL GM spot, and by all accounts it seems like he has a good shot to land a spot somewhere in the next few years. That is not to say that you could go from College GM to NFL GM but I think if NFL GM is really what he is shooting for then staying on his current path would be the way.
Maybe. But if he does come here and completely revitalizes the program, would that make him more attractive for an NFL GM position? Quite possibly, yes.
Good I'm hoping we get a guy who knows college ball. There's zero evidence these NFL types will work in college.
Now if we want to add some successful NFL guys as a different perspective I'm all for it, but they can't be the guy
I would hazard a guess that all of the finalists had resumes that were similar in quality. If we get somebody with the wealth of experience that Jeff King has, whether it's Jeff King or not, I'll be thrilled.
There is really no evidence any current GM has been overly successful regardless of their background. This is an office/position that is in its infancy across college football. Hard to discount the experience of someone with an NFL background versus "knows college ball" when the ins and outs of the portal, the NIL landscape and almost every other aspect of the financial landscape of college football are being overwritten every year and in some cases week to week. There aren't many college background guys that have much experience in contracts and the business side of this emerging field and when it comes to talent evaluation and approach I think it really will come down to how well they identify staff to pursue this.
There is also zero evidence that NFL guys won't work in a GM type of position (not coaching - plenty of evidence of that). There is actually no data either way. It really depends on what the structure of the organization is and the roles and responsibilities are as to whether or not an NFL front office type can be successful as a GM at the college level.
King-heads in shambles
Just another rumor post titled as actual news.. Can't wait for several of these per day until we hire a coach.
Are you saying Jeff King is the next coach of VT, big if true
It's going to be Drew Harris
source: trust me bro
This made me chuckle.
Lawson as OC
It's Dr. Harris now
Holland Fisher
Mark Leal
Do you think this could cause Lawson to transfer?
As this thread remains near the top of the tracker, I suggest that the title be renamed to something like "Discussion: Jeff King candidate for new Tech GM". The title makes it sound like he was hired.