Florida Panthers Owner Vincent Viola Withdraws from Secretary of Army Nomination

Florida Panthers owner Vincent Viola withdrew himself from consideration for the U.S. Secretary of the Army position Friday night.

According to Alex Harris and George Richards of the Miami Herald, Viola released the following statement regarding his decision to turn down President Donald Trump's nomination: "I am deeply honored to have been considered for this post, and appreciate the confidence President Trump showed in me. I offer my continued support for President Trump and his administration, and look forward to re-doubling my efforts to support the Army and its veterans as a private citizen."

The 60-year-old New York native has owned the Panthers since 2015 and graduated from West Point in 1977.

Had Viola accepted the post, he would have transferred ownership of the Panthers to his family.

He also would have needed to free himself of his interests in Eastern Air Lines and Virtu Financial but said doing so had "proven insurmountable."

Viola wasn't the first American professional sports owner nominated for a position by Trump, as he previously named New York Jets owner Woody Johnson the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

The Panthers reached the playoffs last season in their first year of ownership under Viola, and they are two points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference during the current campaign.