Inside Every Sports Fan’s Dream Job: The High-Stakes World of a General Manager
From pit bulls to rabid fans, GMs have to be ready for anything
As sports enthusiasts, we've all fantasized about being the mastermind behind our favorite team's success. We tweak lineups on the Trade Machine, draft middling fantasy league teams, and question why our team's GM can't pull off genius moves. But have you ever wondered what it truly takes to be a GM? What fills their days, and how does someone even become a GM? We’ll dive into these questions and more.
Background of GMs
GMs across major American sports leagues often share similar beginnings. A good chunk of NBA GMs are former coaches or players, both at the collegiate and professional levels. About 50% have grinded their way up through the scouting ranks. Similarly, almost three out of four NFL GMs are former scouts. Many GMs across sports leagues are often coming from backgrounds with other expertise including data analytics and law.
We’re seeing more and more GMs across sports leagues being given their first GM job as new generations make their entry into the job. Many of them are being brought in as an outside hire; however, that doesn’t mean there isn’t some connection involved. GMs are a tight-knit community, many having grown together in the business.
Take the San Antonio Spurs—think of them as the GM version of a family business. Sam Presti, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s mastermind, started as a video intern under the legendary Gregg Popovich, plucking talent like Tony Parker. Others, such as Kevin Prichard, also got their start with the Spurs. Before working in San Antonio, he played college ball for Kansas with none other than Popovich and R.C. Buford (the current Spurs CEO and long-time GM) who were on the coaching staff under Larry Brown.
These are just a few examples of the connections among those working in the NBA. All this is to say is that it matters who you know, just like winning over the hiring manager of any job. The GM community is small and it often takes climbing the ladder to have a chance at the job.
Surviving the arena
Job security is tough to come by as a GM. The average tenure of a GM in the major sports leagues in America is anywhere from 2-6 years. That’s not a lot of time to turn an organization into a winning one. Every owner wants to win now and GMs have no leeway if they aren’t getting the job done.
Running a sports team is a constant drain on an owner’s finances. GMs have to constantly ask the owner for money to sign a new player, hire a new assistant coach, try a new recovery technology, buy replacement equipment for players, and the list goes on. Everything the GM is in charge of is a money pit. It can become tiring constantly asking for more money, especially if they aren’t producing on the field. GMs need to not only be an expert at evaluating talent, but they also need to understand operations, how to manage finances, and ensure the money spent helps produce revenue in the long run.
The human toll
GMs nowadays are in the spotlight more than ever. Back in the day, GMs used to be able to walk down the street and not be noticed. Now, they’re front-page news. They are almost on the same level as the head coach as far as scrutiny goes. GMs are asked to appear in more press conferences and answer the tough questions when things aren’t going well.
As one GM working in baseball put it:
“The public nature of it, the demands of it, the ownership, the media, the fans. It’s a complete change. It’s not like anything anyone has been used to and it’s only getting harder as Twitter keeps going. There’s so much scrutiny on it that people are like, ‘Screw it, I’m happy making a nice living and can be around my kids and go out to dinner without being recognized.’”
Families share the highs and endure the lows. It’s not just a job, but a lifestyle. Scott Pioli, the former Kansas City Chiefs GM, revealed the bitter truth and negative side of fandom when talking about his own children:
“They will also be exposed to the ugly underbelly of our society and they will experience things that children shouldn’t have to. My 10-year-old daughter has been standing with me and heard adults say unconscionable things to me…It takes a great human toll on you and a greater toll on your loved ones.”
With the public spotlight comes compensation that oftentimes makes up for the sacrifice. On average, most GMs make anywhere from $1 million to $3 million per year. The best and most experienced GMs will make closer to $10 million a year.
Everyday drama
GMs have to be able to thrive on uncertainty. Thad Levine, the general manager of the Minnesota Twins, described the job as working in an emergency room. You never know what challenge is going to walk in and occupy your time. You could be solving something simple, like putting a bandaid on a kid’s finger, or you could encounter something really complex that requires surgery right then and there. One moment you can be going over reports with your scouting team, the next you can be dealing with the fallout of a fight at practice.
Pioli spoke about how being a GM means spending a lot of time doing things you didn’t think you signed up for. There are countless times GMs have to deal with situations that have nothing to do with the game they love. He told one story of having to advise a player to disassociate himself from friends he was living with. They were raising pit bulls on his property and he had to work with the player to get his friends and the dogs to leave. It cost him at least a whole day's worth of work when he could have been spending that time helping to improve the team.
Building a championship team
GM responsibilities vary slightly from team to team; however, the main objective across the board is to win. The former Minnesota Timberwolves GM, Milt Newton, said it best:
"The overriding aspect of my job is putting a product on the floor that can be perennial playoff contenders. We're all in this to win a championship."
The number one responsibility of a GM is to build a team that can compete for the ultimate prize of a championship. Building a team doesn’t only happen in the offseason, but is a daily process. Trades rarely happen overnight. They often take months of conversations and buttering up relationships. As Newton put it:
“We're on the phone every day, seeing what's out there, what you're willing to do. If I notice that your team went down with an injury last night, I'm calling you the next day to find out if there's any way we can help you in regards to getting a piece that you may need."
It’s easy for a fan to sit there and say a team needs to trade an underperforming player. The difficult part is that a receiving team needs to see the benefit of trading for said underperforming player, which is much more difficult to do in real life than on NBA2K.
When it comes to signing new players in free agency, it’s not just about finding the best talent. GMs have to predict how talent will fit around their current players. Just as important, GMs have to be smart about how much they spend on a free agent without negatively impacting future moves due to salary caps or the owners’ pocketbook limitations. Being able to negotiate with and sell free agents in a matter of hours plus understand the financial implications is one of the most important skills of a GM.
The beauty of building
Every GM got into the business in pursuit of that ultimate dream of transforming a team into a perennial powerhouse. It’s the passion for the game, the unwavering dedication to their craft, and the relentless pursuit of that championship glory that fuels their every move.
While the life of a GM might be filled with uncertainties, financial acrobatics, and public scrutiny, it remains a dream job of every die-hard sports fan. Perhaps, as we cheer on our teams, debate trade scenarios, and dissect every move, we’re not just fans; we're dreamers, secretly relishing the thought of one day calling the shots.
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