Brian Gutekunst/ Mark Murphy Presser Highlights

[Mark87]

Murphy on Ted Thompson: "We had three internal candidates, and I think I would be remiss if I didn't recognize the role that Ted had played in mentoring all three. ... Also Ted and I sat down and talked. It gave me a good sense of how he evaluated the candidates."

Murphy says Packers coach Mike McCarhty interviewed each of the candidates for GM. He also says Ted Thompson's input was helpful.

Mark Murphy: "The final decision was mine, both on the decision to hire Brian, and the decision to change the structure."

Mark Murphy says he got help from Charley Casserly, who he played underneath in Washington. Casserly now on NFL's career advisory committee.

Murphy: "I though the process was very, very helpful in terms of allowing me to have a good sense of what was going on with football. The last few years I've tried to be more involved in football. ... It really focused me on some of the issues I saw within football.

Murphy says there have been some breakdowns in communication on the football side of things over the last few years. Says the Packers had to "knock down those silos" that kept people apart or isolated.

Murphy decided to split Thompson's role into several parts:
- Gutekunst is the GM and has all roster oversight
- Ball has the administrative aspects and football operations

Murphy: "I thought it would be really helpful for Mike McCarthy to report to me. I think it's best for the organization." Says there will be regular meetings with McCarthy and Gutekunst moving forward

Murphy on new Packers GM Brian Gutekunst: "He has been viewed as a rising star within the NFL, and has a great background, great experience. He's an excellent evaluator of talent."

Murphy says he asked Gutekunst to share his reports on the Packers top three draft picks from the last three years to get a sense of his evaluation skills. "That was enlightening."

Gutes Turn

Among list of people he thanks, Gutekunst says "really importantly" wants to thank Ted Thompson: "He's been a mentor and friend to me for a long time now. He has taught me so many things along the way, his discipline to the process and ability to stay steady through adversity."

Brian Gutekunst: "I'm really, really excited about this opportunity. This is an amazing place. There's a standard of excellence that has been here for a long, long time."

Gutekunst says the draft, develop and retain philosophy will remain with the Packers because it's worked. However, he says he plans to be more aggressive and wants to at least be involved on every possible acquisition that could improve the roster.

**

Murphy confirms power to hire and fire head coach now belongs to him. Moving forward, it will be the Packers president who now decides future of Mike McCarthy.

Murphy says Brian Gutekunst has full autonomy on #Packers roster, does not foresee scenario where he would give him a directive or veto his GM's football decisions: "I'm not going to make football decisions.

Gutekunst: "I was born into a football family. I've been around football all my life. ... I've had such a broad spectrum of football experience being a coach's kid, coaching for a while and then going to the Kansas City Chiefs with John Schneider."

Gutekunst says he'll be more publicly vocal than Ted Thompson as Packers GM, says he has responsibility to fans to "communicate clearly" regarding direction of football ops.

If there is a dispute between Gutekunst, Ball and McCarthy, Murphy says he might have to make decision. But roster autonomy belongs to Gutekunst: "If it's something that involves the roster, ultimately Brian will have final say."

Gutekunst said he was on the path to get into coaching when he interned here in 1997. But from that point forward he fell in love with scouting, and that's when his focus shifted to the personal side of things

Brian Gutekunst, who started on a coaching track, says Scot McCloughan helped him fall in love with scouting during his first three years with Packers : "He was the one we'd ask questions when we were too afraid to ask Ron."

Gutekunst's thoughts on Packers current roster: "I think we have a lot of quality pieces on this team, but there's a lot of work to do as well." He stresses competition at every position, "so nobody feels safe."

Gutekunst on how far #Packer are from their goal of a Super Bowl: "I don't think we're very far away." He says there's a lot of work to do, but expects it to be done shortly.

Gutekunst says he got on a plane Saturday to Houston after interviewing with Mark Murphy on Friday. Murphy kept in constant contact. "I tried to ruin his dinner," Murphy jokes

Gutekunst: "I let Mark know on Friday that this was my dream job. I absolutely love this place."

Gutekunst says he has great relationship with Packers coach Mike McCarthy: "I have a ton of respect for Mike as a football coach and a man."

 

[TW]

Based on what I'm reading from the press release, this whole thing could go sideways in a New York minute.

One man makes the decision who they want to draft. Another makes the decision on paying them. A third coaches the guys they give him. Sounds simple, right? LOL

All three report to Murphy. Every time they disagree, it's going to be a pissing match as to who gets their way, and Ball is going to sit there with the cap, and bust them both over it, by pointing out they're "wasting money."

Murphy says he's getting into the football side, then he says he's not getting into the football side. What he hasn't said is that nobody on the Board, or himself, has the guts to make any real decisions.

If I was Gutekunst, I would have told them to go pound sand.

 

[rpiotr01]

Sounds like Murphy got an earful from Mike and maybe Alonzo on his way out the door about how crappy Ted was at managing people and personalities, and also got an earful from the executive committee about how his hands off approach to TT led to this degeneration of FO morale, and overreacted with this new structure. I don’t like the implications of it, though with a light hand by Murphy it could work.

 

[Mark87]

Couple things here >>

Murphy: "I though the process was very, very helpful in terms of allowing me to have a good sense of what was going on with football. The last few years I've tried to be more involved in football. ... It really focused me on some of the issues I saw within football.
Murphy says there have been some breakdowns in communication on the football side of things over the last few years. Says the Packers had to "knock down those silos" that kept people apart or isolated.

Remember the last 3-4 years I said things were off and didn't smell right in the front office down... there you go. Read between the lines.

Red Flag

Mark Murphy says he got help from Charley Casserly, who he played underneath in Washington. Casserly now on NFL's career advisory committee.

Casserly royalty screwed up the last two organizations he was with... I am talking cluster. Not the guy who should be giving Murphy advice


This >

Gutekunst: "I was born into a football family. I've been around football all my life. ... I've had such a broad spectrum of football experience being a coach's kid, coaching for a while and then going to the Kansas City Chiefs with John Schneider."

And this is why I think we improve >

Gutekunst's thoughts on Packers current roster: "I think we have a lot of quality pieces on this team, but there's a lot of work to do as well." He stresses competition at every position, "so nobody feels safe."

If Murphy starts micromanaging at all we got trouble. If not this should work out.

 

[Budman]

So the GM doesn't hire or fire the HC? Then Murphy says he's not going to make football decisions. Am I misreading or misinterpreting?

From Marks post:

(Murphy confirms power to hire and fire head coach now belongs to him. Moving forward, it will be the Packers president who now decides future of Mike McCarthy.)

(Murphy says Brian Gutekunst has full autonomy on #Packers roster, does not foresee scenario where he would give him a directive or veto his GM's football decisions: "I'm not going to make football decisions.)

 

[Mark87]

So the GM doesn't hire or fire the HC?

not anymore... MM reports to Murphy who now Hires/Fires. Changed the structure that Harlan and Ron Wolf put in place.

 

[Budman]

not anymore... MM reports to Murphy who now Hires/Fires. Changed the structure that Harlan and Ron Wolf put in place.

And here Murphy said he didn't want to make football decision. Isn't hiring or firing the HC a football decision? Or maybe it's a personal decision for Murphy.

 

[diesel]

MM interviewing his future boss??

 

[Budman]

MM interviewing his future boss??

Gute not MM's boss. It's now Murphy. Maybe it's a good thing. First impression of mine was that Murphy and MM are tight and this bypasses the chance of a new GM to can the coach and move forward. Then again, maybe Murphy had a problem with Ted hanging on to MM for so long and now Murphy wants to be the one to lower the axe when needed. Sure is interesting though.

 

[TW]

Based on what McCarthy said a week ago, during their search for a GM, he already knew he would be on an equal footing with the new GM, and was going to be involved in deciding who it would be.

It looks like Murphy likes having three guys kissing his ring instead of one. Now he can micromanage to his hearts content, and in the end, dump the blame for everything, on anyone he wants.

When I read the Casserly thing, I damned near choked! The guy has proven to be a train wreck when it comes to management. I have no idea why he's working with the NFL front office, unless they figured out he makes a good pot of coffee.

I just don't get Gutekunst buying into this plan. It's bizarre!