He’s been the head of Reeses Senior Bowl in Mobile since 2018.
He’s been credited with continuing to build the final showcase of college senior talent.
Now, Jim Nagy is leaving for the Oklahoma Sooners to become their general manager for football.
It’s a new gig for Nagy, and it also carries a new, expanded job description for traditional football power Oklahoma. It’s a supersized position that may quickly become a model for other college athletic administrations. It’s a sign of the changing times of NCAA football.
What will Jim Nagy do as a “general manager for football?” The new job description sounds almost like an athletic director-lite.
He will direct Oklahoma’s roster management, talent acquisition, player recruitment, evaluation, retention and compensation. He will manage NIL (name, image and likeness compensation). He will manage the transfer portal – in and out. He will manage revenue sharing, scholarship limits and eligibility requirements.
In short, he will be the business manager for Sooners football.
For years, we have heard the expression, “College football is big business.” Now, it is getting full-time expanded business managers. Jim Nagy will be one of the firsts.
He is staying in the SEC, so Jim Nagy will be seen again and again as the Sooners visit Tuscaloosa and Auburn. OU finished 6-7 in 2024 in their first year in the SEC. Welcome to the big league.
SoonerSports.com released this statement Wednesday:
The University of Oklahoma has hired Jim Nagy as the General Manager for Football while implementing a progressive new structure uniquely tailored to meet the most current challenges in college football. The general manager will work alongside the head football coach to construct a roster capable of competing at a championship level.
Since 2018, Nagy has served as the Executive Director of the Senior Bowl, the nation's most prestigious college all-star game that showcases draft-eligible college football players, where he has been responsible for the identification, evaluation, recruitment, and selection of the top NFL prospects to be invited to the game. In his role, he cultivated relationships across college football, the agent community, and all 32 NFL front offices. In the past five game cycles, the Senior Bowl has produced more than 100 drafted players each year, representing more than 40 percent of those NFL Draft classes. Last year, the Senior Bowl had a record 110 total selections, including 45 of the top 100 players and 10 first-round picks.
Nagy has a long and effective resume that includes scouting for the Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots and Washington Redskins.
Serving in the front offices of NFL teams that played in six Super Bowls.
Nagy released a statement on Wednesday saying, "This is a new era in intercollegiate athletics at one of the greatest college football programs in the country," said Nagy. "The legacy of excellence that precedes my arrival is a testament to the leadership at OU and the university's commitment to execute at a championship level. I am honored to bring my experience and work ethic to this program and am confident that through collaboration and effort, we can achieve excellent results. I am truly excited to get to Norman and begin our process with Coach Venables and his great staff."
The New York Jets had interviewed Nagy for their vacant general manager job in December. Bad timing, as Nagy was deeply preoccupied with the work-intensive approach to Senior Bowl 2025. Both the Jets and Nagy concluded that the Big Apple was a no-go. He is staying at the collegiate level.
Jim Nagy managed his final Senior Bowl earlier this month on February 1.
Jim ‘Zig’ Zeigler writes about Alabama’s people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at [email protected].
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