Seahawks bring GM Ferguson back home
KIRKLAND — Bob Ferguson had been spending so much time in the area recently, something had to be happening with regard to his candidacy for the Seahawks' general-manager position.
Yesterday, rather than prolong the speculation, team president Bob Whitsitt introduced Ferguson as the Seahawks' new GM. Whitsitt wasn't expected to announce a hiring for at least a few more days. But after several interviews, and with the NFL scouting combine and free agency fast approaching, he chose Ferguson.
The 51-year-old Ferguson returns to the Pacific Northwest, where he was born and raised and attended college. A former linebacker at the University of Washington who was born in Enumclaw and raised in Federal Way, Ferguson was also an original Seahawks employee before moving on to a number of other NFL scouting and front-office jobs. He has 27 years of NFL experience.
Ferguson opened his news conference yesterday with words of gratitude for Whitsitt and Seahawks owner Paul Allen "for the opportunity to come home."
"I think you all know, those of you who know me, what a passion I've had for this team since 1975," said Ferguson, whose first NFL job was as director of sales and special events for the Seahawks from 1975 to 1979. "I'm just thrilled to be here. I think there are things I can add to the organization — a passion, like I said, for the team and maybe an energy that we need to get people together. This is not a broken outfit."
Ferguson replaces Mike Holmgren, who agreed to step down as general manager at the end of the 2002 season but remains as coach. Ferguson was the Arizona Cardinals' general manager for four seasons until his dismissal on Jan. 6.
Whitsitt interviewed Ted Thompson, the Seahawks' vice president of football operations, as well as Kansas City executive Bill Kuharich. He also spoke with, among others, Randy Mueller, former Seahawks and New Orleans GM, and James Harris, recently hired as vice president of player personnel with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Ferguson received a second interview last week and also met with Allen during a short stay in the Puget Sound area. In making his decision to hire Ferguson, Whitsitt cited experience as a key factor.
"He has worked with five different teams," Whitsitt said. "A lot of general managers like to look at their draft records, but I think the draft is really one piece to the puzzle. I liked the experience he had in Arizona. In the early years (with Ferguson as an executive), they made the playoffs for the first time in 25 years and they won a playoff game for the first time in 50 years. And I look at environments. It's not always about the record."
In Arizona, Ferguson was vice president of player personnel when the Cardinals won an NFC wild-card game in January 1999. He gained acclaim within the NFL for negotiating the trade with San Diego that allowed the Cardinals to select defensive end Andre Wadsworth with the third pick of the 1998 draft. In that deal, the Cardinals also received a second-round pick, a first-round pick in 1999 and two players. The Chargers used the second overall pick to select Ryan Leaf, former Washington State quarterback.
Wadsworth, an all-rookie selection in 1998, never achieved stardom because of knee problems, but the Cardinals drafted Pro Bowl wide receiver David Boston in 1999 with the first-round pick they got from the Chargers. After the 1999 draft, the Cardinals promoted Ferguson to general manager.
But by 2000, Ferguson fell out of favor with the Bidwill family, which owns the Cardinals, and spent more time scouting in 2001 and 2002. The Cardinals fired Ferguson and two assistant coaches at the end of last season after Arizona finished last in the NFC West with a 5-11 record.
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"This kind of opportunity kind of fell out of a tree, I think. Somebody's got to be the guy up front to explain why we did something, why we didn't do it, without worrying about what the rest of the team in the locker room has to say."
José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com.
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