After a tumultuous few weeks, the Panthers have decided that Marty Hurney will be the team’s general manager in 2018 and beyond, the team announced Wednesday.
Everything you need to know about Marty Hurney, the new Panthers GM
Here’s why the Panthers hired Hurney and what led up to it.
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
Hurney was the Panthers’ general manager from 2002 until six games into the 2012 season, when the Panthers fired him after a 1-5 start. He was replaced by Dave Gettleman, who was fired in July 2017. Hurney took over as the team’s interim GM, and now he’ll step back into the role permanently.
He was the team’s top candidate all along, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Hurney takes the reins in a less-than-ideal situation in Carolina. Here are all the details.
Why were the Panthers in the market for a new GM? Carolina waited until after the draft and free agency were over, and with training camp just around the corner, they decided to move on from former general manager Dave Gettleman.
They brought back Hurney as Gettleman’s replacement on an interim basis. The Panthers finished the 2017 season 11-5 and made the postseason. They were knocked out of the playoffs by the Saints, an NFC South rival, in the Wild Card round.
Why are they sticking with Hurney? Hurney’s future with the team looked uncertain when the league opened an investigation into Hurney stemming from allegations of harassment raised by his ex-wife.
Hurney’s former wife withdrew her complaint, which closed the legal proceedings. The league’s personal conduct policy provides for an investigation regardless of what happens in court. Hurney was placed on paid leave by the Panthers while the league completed its investigation. The NFL cleared Hurney after it found no evidence that he violated the league’s policy.
It was the second recent NFL investigation involving the Panthers. The team is still being investigated over allegations of inappropriate behavior from owner Jerry Richardson. Richardson plans to sell his majority share of the team.
Ultimately, the Panthers have a level of familiarity with Hurney. He should provide some stability as the team goes through an ownership transition.
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