Buffalo Bills: Former GM Doug Whaley takes on new role with XFL

The XFL announced Thursday morning that former Buffalo Bills GM Doug Whaley will serve as the league’s senior vice president and director of football operations.

Doug Whaley spent seven seasons with the Buffalo Bills. First as the team’s personnel director, then finally taking over for Buddy Nix as the general manager in 2013.

After seven losing seasons with the Bills culminating in a 46-63 record, Whaley was fired last May.

The former Bills GM did find himself a new job this past summer becoming the NFLPA’s director of college scouting. Five months after taking this job, Whaley is moving on from the NFL to take a larger role with the resurrected XFL as Commissioner Oliver Luck’s right-hand-man.

After announcing Whaley’s hiring, Luck released a statement displaying his excitement to add the 45-year-old to the leagues front office.

“Based on his passion for all aspects of football, his intellect and vast experience as an NFL General Manager, we believe that Doug is the perfect choice to lead the XFL’s Football Operations,” Luck said. “The quality of the on-field product is paramount to the XFL’s success, and Doug, who is tech-savvy and a firm believer in analytics, brings football credibility and a strong work ethic to the team. I’m excited to begin working with him as we reimagine the game.”

In the media industry, we’d call this a “good get”. This is Luck’s first major hire since being named league commissioner and it seems to be another big win for Vince McMahon and the XFL. Whaley seems excited about his new venture as well.

“I’m excited to get started knowing we have a lot of work ahead of us. Nothing is more important than developing a fun, fast-paced game that football fans will embrace, and I look forward to making this challenge a reality,” Whaley said.

The XFL is set to open its doors in February 2020. However, there hasn’t been much progress in terms of establishing the league publicly. There hasn’t been any news on the potential cities represented, potential players, sponsors, TV deals, or heck, we don’t even know the rules yet. And you can bet it won’t be like the traditional football you see on Sundays.

Whaley, along with Oliver Luck, will be tasked to complete all these tasks in the coming months. With over 20 years of experience in football operations with both the NFL league office and the Buffalo Bills, Whaley should be a valued addition for the league.