Pitt Adds Former DB, NFL GM to Athletic Department

PITTSBURGH - The Pitt Panthers have officially added a key piece to the athletic department.

After the Pitt athletic department absorbed Alliance 412, the preferred NIL collective of the Panthers over the past couple of seasons, it opened the door for the "de facto" general manager to join the department officially.

Former NFL general manager and Alliance 412 executive Doug Whaley has been added to the Pitt athletic department website as the Football Revenue Share Advisor.

It's a role that appears similar to the one he held with Alliance 412, handling NIL and financial decisions for the Panthers. And there is a chance that he could be involved in additional player personnel decisions.

Whaley, 52, is a former Pitt defensive back who grew up in Upper St. Clair, Pa. He attended Pitt in the mid-1990s before going on to work in the NFL. He served as the Buffalo Bills GM from 2013-17, following a 10-year stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a pro personnel coordinator. He's also spent time as the Vice President of Football Operations in the XFL.

Whaley obviously has experience with the Panthers, recording four interceptions during his collegiate career and serving as a team captain in 1993.

Jul 28, 2013; Pittsford, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills general manager Doug Whaley on the field during training camp at St. John Fisher College. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-Imagn Images | Kevin Hoffman-Imagn Images

And while Whaley never officially held the general manager title during his time with Alliance 412, Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi did refer to him as a GM during the spring.

"We have a general manager already," Narduzzi said during the spring. "Doug Whaley has been our guy. We've had one for a couple of years now. We're way ahead of the curve. We've already had a guy that is taking care of the player personnel issues that we have."

Whaley, and all of Alliance 412's resources, will be utilized to continue the attempt to keep the Panthers relevant in the national landscape of college football.

"This transition reflects Pitt Athletics' forward-thinking approach, recognizing what will be required to fuel competitive success," the release said. "Consolidating efforts directly within the athletics department will allow Panther student-athletes to leverage a comprehensive ecosystem of tools to drive valid business purpose NIL deals."

The release also called this acquisition "a bold step forward in shaping the future of NIL at the University of Pittsburgh today" and that this will bring "unifying support for Panther student-athletes into one streamlined and powerful platform."

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