Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton said after Carolina's latest crushing loss that "something had to change." It didn't take long.
The Panthers announced Monday morning that General Manager Marty Hurney has been relieved of his duties. He's run the team since 2002.
"This was an extremely difficult
decision," said owner Jerry Richardson in a statement. "Marty made every
effort to bring success to the Panthers
and took the team to a Super Bowl and two NFC championship games.
Unfortunately, we have not enjoyed the success we hoped for in recent
years. I have the greatest respect and admiration for Marty and will
always appreciate the way he tirelessly served the organization."
The Panthers
had their share of success under Hurney, but it was never sustained.
They followed up their Super Bowl year with a 7-9 season. They followed
up their '08 12-4 season with an 8-8 mark. Hurney was never able to
deliver back-to-back winning years.Things really went south after 2008. Hurney doubled down on Jake Delhomme's contract, which put his team in a huge hole. He got the Jimmy Clausen pick wrong. Outside of Cam Newton, the Panthers have very little to show for the last few drafts.
Hurney went on a spending spree before the 2011 season to poor results. They have the highest paid backfield in the league with Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams. Their rushing attack is 24th in rushing attempts despite giving $43 million guaranteed to their top two backs.
Whether it was John Fox or the current coach Ron Rivera, Hurney and the coaching staff didn't always seem to be on the same page.
"I am very fortunate to have been a part of one of the best
organizations in the NFL since 1998," Hurney said. "As General Manager I
will always regret not helping us win the Super Bowl or having
back-to-back winning seasons. I hope this change starts accomplishing
the direction to those goals. I understand this decision by Mr.
Richardson and will always have an extremely close relationship with
him. I consider him the best owner in the NFL. I am responsible for
everybody in coaching, the players, the scouts and everybody in football
operations. After six weeks, we are 1-5 coming off a 6-10 season."It is a very unusual to fire a general manager in the middle of the season, but this is Richardson's signal that change is coming to Carolina. It's also a reminder how difficult life in the NFL can be. The Panthers have lost four games by one score.
If they complete another pass or two, Hurney still has his job. More information at NFL.com.
