Panthers Let Senior Executive Scout Don Gregory Go

[Mr. Scot]

Here's a general timeline...

Gregory was hired by Marty Hurney to be Director of College Scouting in 2006.  Prior to that he was a national scout for the Chiefs. Dave Gettleman promoted Gregory to Director of Player Personnel, which would have put him over both college and pro scouting.

May of last year, in the wake of Brandon Beane taking the Bills GM job, Gregory was reassigned to a "Senior National Scout" position. From what I've read, this was a glorified scout / consultant position.  It'd be considered a demotion unless it was voluntary, i.e. a "step back" move like what Gettleman had done with the Giants. 

Jeff Morrow took over the college scouting department and Mark Koncz took over as Director of Player Personnel after having spent years running the Pro Personnel department. Don't know whether Morrow let anybody go but he did hire at least one new scout in June of last year. 

This past April's draft would be the first one on Morrow's watch.  Obviously, it'll be a long while before we know how it turned out.  Gregory had shepherded the Panthers scouting process every previous season since his hire.

Gettleman was fired shortly after the shuffle, and a little after that so was Mark Koncz.  Panthers scout Matt Allen, coincidentally (or not) Jerry Richardson's grandson, was given Koncz' job.  There was speculation that Hurney was letting Koncz go to sink a potential rival, and additional speclation of nepotism with Allen's promostion.

There were more shifts and changes in the front office structure around that same time last year, with the upshot being that guys like Morrow, Allen and others will have been in their current jobs for only one year when David Tepper takes over.

In January, Gregory was interviewed for the GM position.  It was regarded as a Rooney Rule interview, though the Panthers went over and above on that front, interviewing three additional - and highly qualified - minority candidates before doing exactly what everyone expected them to do and handing the job to Marty Hurney.

Just after the draft, longtime Panthers equipment manager Jackie Miles "retired", then proceeded to take the same job with the Giants just a month later.

And now, a little over a year since his step back / demotion / whatever it was and less than six months after interviewing for the GM position, Gregory is being let go.  Wonder if he'll try to latch on with the Bills, Giants or Cardinals.

Also of note, it was reported to be around last March when Jerry Richardson directed a racial epithet at a Panthers scout (whom I believe to have been Khary Darlington).  Whether or not this has anything to do with Gregory's reassignment is unknown, but I'd have to believe that Gregory was at least aware of it.  

[SOJA]

1 hour ago, t96 said:

Not sure they're related to this at all. Rivera has at least another 2 years I would think. Hurney this year and if moves from this offseason don't seem to pan out this year then he's probably gone but otherwise he might stick around a bit. One thing to remember is that the Steelers brass raved to Tepper about Hurney and Rivera. Tepper may very well want his own guys running the show but I think that'll only happen if Hurney faceplants this go around (which is certainly possible, but I will say his moves this offseason have been pretty solid and better than any offseason of his in his first stint. Cutting Stew, not breaking the bank for Star/Norwell, etc. are all the moves of a changed man...).

definitely a plausible scenario 

[Mr. Scot]

Person confirms it's not a Tepper move...

 

[4Corners]

Didn’t Hurney fire someone like 48 hours of being named the interim GM last year? Marty can hold a grudge! 

[Moo Daeng]

Also note that the team is about to have a transition to a new owner. You have to at least consider what this means. There is nobody to sign off on hires above the player level. A lame duck owner and no team president. It's quite possible that coaching/scouting hires are on hold until the guy who decides how much to invest in these positions is officially in place. Think of it as a hiring/travel freeze at your favorite corporate world job.

Things like Secondary Coach and Scouting dept contracts could be addressed in July possibly.

[rodeo]

for a front office largely complicit in continued sexual and racial harassment by the owner, there haven't been enough firings for my liking

[Moo Daeng]

6 minutes ago, rodeo said:

for a front office largely complicit in continued sexual and racial harassment by the owner, there haven't been enough firings for my liking

Scouts aren't front office. 

[countryboi]

2 hours ago, Mr. Scot said:

Not exactly related, but...

Well, except by us...

that was a disgrace...

[TheSpecialJuan]

darn

[Ricky Spanish]

@Mr. Scot

I used to work with a guy that coached Koncz's son in football and Koncz actually helped out. He told me that he was not thrilled when Hurney came back and was pretty fearful for his job and was anticipating quitting because he didn't get along great with Hurney. 

Hurney actually did him a solid though and gave him a severance package. He was mulling over his future for a few months, just enjoying time off with his kids, then Gettleman offered him a job up in NY. 

So that's some through the grapevine stuff I heard. 

[Mr. Scot]

26 minutes ago, Cracka McNasty said:

@Mr. Scot

I used to work with a guy that coached Koncz's son in football and Koncz actually helped out. He told me that he was not thrilled when Hurney came back and was pretty fearful for his job and was anticipating quitting because he didn't get along great with Hurney. 

Hurney actually did him a solid though and gave him a severance package. He was mulling over his future for a few months, just enjoying time off with his kids, then Gettleman offered him a job up in NY. 

So that's some through the grapevine stuff I heard. 

That's consistent with other stuff I've heard, though the severance package information is new.

Mind you, never really had any doubt that Hurney was a nice guy. The doubts are whether he's any good at his job

[MadHatter]

10 hours ago, SOJA said:

Wow, bad sign for Hurney and Riverboat imo. 

 

Change is a coming. 

Zero impact on Hurney or Rivera.

[Snake]

Hurney running this mofo into the ground real good this time. Got to make sure no talent is left. 

[brandon_87]

20 hours ago, Mr. Scot said:

Not surprising. His position change was as much a demotion as anything. Heck, he hasn't even been listed on the team site for a long time.

I don't know why they soured on Gregory but it was pretty obvious that they did.

I'd say it's repeated shitty drafting/poor scouting, but the was this organization has been run they kept him instead if just getting a fresh set of eyes