Marty Hurney Named Panthers GM, Was Serving in Interim Role

The Carolina Panthers removed the interim tag from Marty Hurney and officially made him their general manager, the team announced Wednesday.

Hurney served as Carolina's interim GM in 2017 after Dave Gettleman was fired in July.

Hurney said the following Wednesday about his elevation to the full-time GM role:

"I have always felt a strong connection to this organization and viewed this job as one of the very best in the NFL because of the people here. [Owner] Mr. [Jerry] Richardson and [COO] Tina [Becker] have been open and honest with me from the beginning, and I am thankful for the trust they have placed in me. I gained a lot of perspective being away and then back in an interim role last season. I feel that I am the best person to help [head coach] Ron [Rivera] and this team moving forward. We have a really special core of players in place, and I'm extremely excited about the direction we are headed."

Hurney was the Panthers' general manager from 2002 through 2012 before getting fired and going on to work in radio.

He returned close to the start of the 2017 season after the abrupt firing of Gettleman and helped lead Carolina to an 11-5 record and playoff berth on the heels of a 6-10 season in 2016.

Hurney helped construct a Panthers team that reached the Super Bowl during the 2003 season, and his teams have made the playoffs four times during his tenure as GM.

Hurney was recently investigated by the NFL for allegations of harassment made by his ex-wife, but he was reinstated on Feb. 16 after no evidence of "domestic violence or similar conduct" was found.

This offseason, Hurney will be tasked with figuring out how to handle a bevy of quality free agents, including guard Andrew Norwell, defensive tackle Star Lotulelei and defensive end Julius Peppers.