The XFL Announces New Hires To Football Operations Team

The XFL has announced six new hires to their football operations team as the league prepares to return to the field on February 18, 2023.

Today the XFL made official the hires of the returning Russ Giglio as Senior Director of Player Administration and Officiating Operations. Jim Monos as Senior Director of Football Ops. Brad Campbell as Senior Director of Football Technology. Bobby Monica as Director of Equipment. CJ Cavazos as Director of College and Pro Relations. And David Dykeman as Director of Football and Special Projects.

Some of the names above aren’t very familiar to many who have followed alternate pro football leagues in the past. However, Russ Giglio is a familiar name, having recently worked with both the XFL and AAF. Giglio is back in the fold and will be serving several vital roles for the league. Also returning to the XFL from 2020 is Bobby Monica as director of equipment. Brad Campbell is also back with the XFL as Senior Director of Football Technology.

Jim Monos continues the Buffalo Bills connection that currently exists in the XFL’s executive team headed by Russ Brandon. Monos has nearly two decades worth of scouting experience in the NFL, and he also has close ties to VP of Player Personnel Doug Whaley.

Also joining the XFL for the first time are CJ Cavazos and David Dykeman. Both will have prominent roles on the football side regarding coaching and player recruitment.

Back in November. The XFL announced their new leadership team.

• Russ Brandon, President, League and Football Operations
• Rob Gerbe, Chief Financial Officer
• Jordan Schlachter, Chief Business Officer
• Janet Duch, Chief Marketing and Content Officer
• Marc Ross, Executive Vice President, Football Operations
• Doug Whaley, Senior Vice President, Player Personnel
• Scott Harniman, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Technology
• Jay Rothman, Senior Vice President, Broadcast Operations
• Cindy Wagner, Senior Vice President, People Operations

In an interview with Sportico.com in November, a week before the XFL announced its leadership team. XFL Co-Owner and RedBird Capital Partners founder Gerry Cardinale promised an increasing crescendo of big announcements in the coming months. Although, the XFL won’t be back on the field until the tentative date of Saturday, February 18, 2023. It’s expected that 2022 will be a very active period for the XFL. With the league making team announcements and putting together their football franchises. From their coaches to their players. There’s also a great deal of anticipation in seeing what direction the league takes in terms of their TV and rights packages.

The new ownership group led by RedBird, Gerry Cardinale, Dany Garcia, and Dwayne Johnson will finally be able to share their vision of the XFL after purchasing the league back in the summer of 2020. It’s something that they have been planning for quite some time.

Below is the XFL’s official press release for today’s announcement.

XFL ANNOUNCES KEY FOOTBALL OPERATIONS HIRES

NEW YORK – December 21, 2021 – The XFL today announced six new additions to the football operations department.  Led by owners Dany Garcia, Dwayne Johnson, and RedBird Capital, the XFL is launching in 2023.  The league will be rooted in dynamic football, global orientation, and a highly engaging and entertaining experience for fans.

Joining and returning to the league are:

• Russ Giglio – Senior Director, Player Administration and Officiating Operations
• Jim Monos – Senior Director, Football Operations
• Brad Campbell – Senior Director, Football Technology
• Bobby Monica – Senior Director, Equipment Operations
• CJ Cavazos – Director, College and Professional Relations
• David Dykeman – Director, Football Special Projects

“We are thrilled to have Russ, Bobby, Jim, Brad, CJ, and David join our growing team,” said Russ Brandon, XFL President, League, and Football Operations. “The caliber of our football leadership is an important component of our future, and we are exceptionally pleased that these skilled and experienced individuals chose the XFL.”

Added Brandon, “We are eager to return to the field in 2023. In the meantime, our fans and all the talented players out there should expect to hear from us over the next few months as we get ready to debut everything we’ve been working on.”

Brief bios can be found below:

Russ Giglio is a seasoned football administrator and returns to the XFL as the Senior Director of Player Administration and Officiating Operations. He will be responsible for establishing and enforcing all roster policies and procedures, such as the player draft contracts and waivers. He will work closely with Marc Ross, Executive Vice President, Football Operations, and report directly to Doug Whaley, Senior Vice President, Player Personnel, to support all officiating and player operation initiatives, including database synchronization and rule establishment and review.  Importantly, Giglio will help advise team personnel to ensure equity in player acquisition. During his 15-year career, Giglio has held various positions at both collegiate and professional levels with organizations such as the National Football League, Big Ten Conference, PAC-12 Conference, and Alliance of American Football. He keeps his officiating credentials current and has been a high school football official for the past eight years.

Jim Monos joins the XFL as Senior Director of Football Operations. He will assist with player procurement and day-to-day support operations, including travel coordination and scheduling for each team. Monos will work closely with Marc Ross and Doug Whaley to help with all team needs during the season. Monos joins the league after spending the past year as a football analyst at Spotlight Sports Group. Before that, he spent 17 years working in the NFL as an area scout for the Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints and Director of Player Personnel for the Buffalo Bills.

Brad Campbell returns to the XFL as Senior Director of Football Technology. He will work closely with and report directly to Scott Harniman, Senior Vice President of Enterprise Technology, to support all technology innovations on and off the field to elevate the gameday experience. Before joining the XFL, Campbell was the Director of Football at Synergy Sports. He also spent several years in video positions at the collegiate and professional level with UCLA Football and the Seattle Seahawks.

Bobby Monica returns to the XFL as Senior Director of Equipment Operations, where he will be responsible for ordering football-related equipment for all teams. In addition, he will oversee the equipment staff for each team. Monica brings over 24 years of experience as a Head Equipment Manager in the NFL, working with the Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Cleveland Browns. Before joining the XFL in 2020, Monica worked at Zebra MotionWorks Sports Solutions as an Operations Specialist and was the Director of Equipment Operations at the United Football League. Monica will report to Marc Ross.

CJ Cavazos joins the XFL as the Director of College and Professional Relations, where he will work closely with Marc Ross and Doug Whaley on all aspects of talent recruitment. Cavazos has more than 25 years of experience in recruitment as the founder and CEO of his eponymous recruiting company and is a deeply respected talent evaluator. He brings a strong network of collegiate and professional coaches and will be a key part of on-field operations.

David Dykeman joins the XFL as the Director of Football Special Projects, where he will coordinate and oversee all specialized activities relating to player personnel and national combines. He also will be a key voice in player evaluation, roster development, and recruitment. Dykeman brings more than 20 years of diverse experience coaching at various levels, including FCS, NCAA Division III, and preparatory schools, placing more than 150 student-athletes at prestigious programs, including six former NFL players. He will report to Doug Whaley.