# The Most Important Position In College Football Is Now The GM, Who Is Building Each Team

If you are a follower of college football, I would imagine by now that you've seen programs across the country hiring general managers to help run each organization, much like what you see every day in the NFL, along with other professional sports.

But, judging by the number of questions I've received over the past few months, there are plenty of people that are still confused as to what exactly they are doing in the college ranks.

While the college athletics world continues to move towards the _House_ settlement, there are a plethora of questions that still remain about what exactly revenue-sharing will look like going forward, which I can promise you won't be answered any time soon. As you may have witnessed this past week, college administrators and a few coaches descended upon Capitol Hill to explain to congressional leaders why they need help when it comes to regulating this new era of collegiate sports.

Spoiler alert: Congress is not getting involved in this matter right now, mainly because they have no idea how to regulate or actually pass a law that would help solve the matter.

But, that's a topic for another day.

## Am I Talking About ‘Draft Day’ In College Sports? Tad More Complex

One of the biggest hires this offseason was not in coaching, but actually the General Manager position at Oklahoma, filled by former Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy. The same could be said for Bill Belichick hiring Michael Lombardi.

So, why is this so important to the game right now? Well, it comes down to college football, and basketball, moving towards a more professional model when handling rosters, payroll (Revenue Sharing), and scouting.

Please don't go watch the movie ‘Draft Day’ and think that the role Kevin Coster played is what's currently going on inside athletic departments across college sports. It's much more complicated. There are no draft picks being traded, while there might be a number of GMs who do actually like pancakes. Hopefully you get the reference.

If not, here you go.

## Payroll Is An Important Part Of This New Era In College Sports

Whether it's college basketball or football, teams are looking for general managers who have experience to come in and handle the duties of someone you might see in the NFL or NBA. Now that we are months away from revenue-sharing, with players signing contracts with the schools for their NIL rights, which is just another way to say ‘pay-for-play,' there has to be someone controlling this all.

Sure, schools could've put together contracts for these athletes, but they don't have the experience of dealing with a roster payroll. Now that players will be signing contracts with the schools themselves, there has to be someone who can manage how much each athlete will get, and negotiate those contracts.

"I just don't have the time anymore to spend hours looking over transfer portal tape, with agents blowing up my phone," one Power-4 head coach told OutKick. "I need someone who can find the right guys, know how much money we're gonna spend in the future and be my guide on who can help us win titles. Everything has changed over the years, and it's only going to get crazier in the future.

"I don't want players coming into my office complaining that they aren't getting paid enough when this rev-sharing begins. There is no reason why I need to be part of contract negotiations, which is wild to actually say out loud, since this has been so taboo in the past. Everything is changing, and while I think we're ready, I still have plenty of questions."

There is no reason why the head coach should be negotiating contracts with players, which is another reason why general managers like Jim Nagy are being hired, who Oklahoma's Brent Venables recently brought in to run that department.

"I’m here to find players and take some stuff off (the coaching staff’s) plate," Jim Nagy mentioned this week. "I mean, Brent doesn’t need to be negotiating all these contracts, I don’t think that’s a coach’s place at all."

When schools have to start divvying up these deals for players, there will obviously be some tough conversations. For instance, the starting running back is going to make more than the linebacker or defensive back, and it's the GM's job to make sure the program is running a payroll that benefits everyone involved.

Also, it's their job to make sure the team is keeping its roster in a healthy financial place, given that most Power-4 schools will be operating with a $15-$16 million budget starting in July. And yes, that monetary figure will likely increase every season, so it's important for guys like Nagy to make sure they are spending wisely, and not wasting money.

Just think of it as the NFL or NBA running with a salary cap every season.

"Never force a player down a coach's throat, never do that, because it won’t work out," . "I’ve been a part of some clubs where we did that a couple of times, and it didn’t work out."

## Recruiting, Scouting Are All Part Of The Job For College GM's

While we have seen programs hire an abundant number of recruiting staffers, for high school and transfer portal players, this job has always been 24/7 for coaches within the building. Now, with general managers, head coaches can take that weight and put it on them to help guide where the program is going, and who to bring in.

Obviously, the final decision will come down to the head coach, but there is so much that goes into finding the right players for a team, with the game changing so much over the last number of years with the portal, you need someone who can run the everyday activities and relay that to the head coach. Again, much like you see in the professional ranks.

When Bill Belichick was hired at North Carolina, he brought in Michael Lombardi to be his GM. These two had a relationship dating back to the New England Patriots. It was Lombardi's job to evaluate talent and make roster decisions with Belichick. Now that the pair have reunited at UNC, Bellichick has his right-hand man beside him once again to find the right players needed to build a program, this time in the college ranks.

Think about all the players entering the transfer portal, or the high-profile athletes coming out of high school. We are currently in a time when the number of players on the market is overwhelming for many coaches, so having someone you can trust feeding the right information and finding the athletes who can help on the field is one of the most important aspects of the job.

"I'm here to find players and take some stuff off (the coaching staff’s) plate," . "I'm excited to be reunited with Michael, and we will rely on his expertise in evaluating and acquiring talent for the Tar Heel program."

The key word in that quote from Belichick is ‘acquiring’ players, at a time when the transfer portal has become the easiest way to find a quick-fix, especially in this era of needing to win immediately.

From roster limits, making the hard decisions on who to let go or restructuring a contract, all of this is now in the hands of a general manager.

While the GM title is not new to college athletics, as there have been a number of folks helping run programs in the past, the duties that come with the job have certainly changed.

Welcome to the new era of college athletics. Or should I say the professional arm of collegiate sports?
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