Washington Football Team hires Martin Mayhew as general manager
The former Detroit Lions GM will join Coach Ron Rivera in D.C.
The Washington Football Team has officially named former NFL player Martin Mayhew as the organization’s new general manager.
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According to ESPN, Mayhew was hired after an interview with the team’s head coach Ron Rivera. He was selected over Ryan Cowden, vice president of player personnel for the Tennessee Titans, Nick Polk, director of football operations for the Atlanta Falcons, and JoJo Wooden, the Los Angeles Chargers’ director of player personnel, who all were considered for the position.
“Martin is a proven general manager who will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the organization,” Rivera said in a statement according to ESPN. “He will be an integral part of running the daily football operations and will allow me the opportunity to focus more on coaching.”
River added, “He impressed both myself and Mr. Snyder during the interview process and we both believe he will be a tremendous fit here. He is a man of high character and integrity and was part of the rich history and tradition of this great franchise as a member of the Super Bowl championship team in 1991.
Mayhew, 55, was previously employed as an executive in the front office for the San Francisco 49ers. He served as the general manager for the Detroit Lions from 2008 through 2015. He then worked as the New York Giants director of football operations in 2016 before his last position on the West Coast. According to ESPN, the sports professional has spent two years as a senior executive and the past two as the vice president of player personnel.
In his professional career as an athlete, Mayhew played four years as a defensive back in Washington where he won the aforementioned national championship. He also played for Buffalo for a season as well as for multiple seasons in Tampa Bay.
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The East Coast team also announced Marty Hurney as the new Executive Vice President of Football/Player. According to the Washington Post, the 65-year-old has previously worked with Rivera on two separate occasions.
‘Marty Hurney is an excellent evaluator of talent and someone whom I trust and have worked with in the past,” Rivera said, per the Post. “He knows the amount of hard work it takes to operate a successful personnel department. Marty has a proven track record as a successful scout and general manager and will be a vital part of shaping our roster. Both myself and Mr. Snyder agreed that he would bring an enormous amount of experience to our operation.”
As theGrio reported, Jason Wright was named president of the Washington Football Team in August, making him the first African-American to hold the title in the league’s history.
“If I could custom design a leader for this important time in our history, it would be Jason. His experience as a former player, coupled with his business acumen, gives him a perspective that is unrivaled in the league,” said team owner Dan Snyder said in a statement according to the report.
Mayhew and Hurney will report directly to Rivera.
The Washington Football Team finished the 2020-2021 season with a 7–9 record. The team came in first place in the maligned NFC East but lost to the Buccaneers in their wild-card playoff game.
This was Rivera’s first season as WFT’s head coach and he says he learned a lot from the experience.
“The biggest thing I would have done is I would have created a few more opportunities mixing everybody around,” Rivera said on a sports radio show, according to NBC Sports Washington. “As opposed to saying OK, I’m going to stick with just the one guy and do that. I think now in retrospect, and again, hindsight in 2020, I would.”
“What I’m saying is I made a mistake and I’m owning up to it and that’s the truth.”
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