Who is Doug Whaley; How Did He Get From The NFL To The XFL

Doug Whaley A.K.A. Douglass G. Whaley is the current Senior Vice President Of Football Operations for the XFL. Before that, he was the General Manager of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL) from 2013-2017. Before joining The Bills, Whaley spent 11 years with the Pittsburgh Steelers as the team’s Pro Scouting Coordinator, where he won two Super Bowls. Whaley worked directly under Kevin Colbert, who is the Director Of Football Operations. In his time with the Steelers, Whaley helped scout and draft defensive players such as Lamarr Woodley, Troy Polamalu & Lawrence Timmons.

Buffalo Bills Days

Whaley was named Assistant General Manager & Director Of Pro Personnel of the Buffalo Bills on February 10th, 2010, where he oversaw the team’s Pro Personnel Department and assisted General Manager Buddy Nix in all football-related administrative duties and the college talent evaluation process until Nix stepped down from the General Manager position on May 13th, 2013. Whaley was named the Buffalo Bills’ General Manager three days later. On January 10th, 2016, Whaley agreed to a contract extension offered to him by the Buffalo Bills. Whaley, alongside his staff, was “relieved of his duties” by the Buffalo Bills on April 30th, 2017, following the 2017 NFL Draft. He then spent The 2018 season as a recruiter for the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. On November 8th, 2018, Whaley was hired as The Senior Vice President Of Football Operations for The XFL.

Luck On Whaley

According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, XFL Commissioner Oliver Luck said the following regarding Whaley’s hiring:

“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. 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.”

Whaley also commented on his XFL hiring with the following comments:

“I would like to thank Oliver for giving me the opportunity to help bring their vision for the XFL to life. 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.”

Doug Whaley’s Role In The XFL

XFL Commissioner Oliver Luck also released the following statement on Doug Whaley’s role when The XFL relaunches in February 2020 as well as his experience in Professional Football:

“He will be my right-hand man, so to speak, for all things football,” Luck said. Whaley’s duties will include player evaluation and the hiring of top personnel for the XFL’s eight teams, as well as football operations duties such as scheduling. The XFL is set to begin to play in ’20. Whaley has more than 20 years of football experience, including serving as Bills GM from ’13-17. He also has worked for the Steelers and Seahawks. Whaley was named the Dir of College Recruiting for the NFLPA’s Collegiate Bowl earlier this year and will continue to serve in that position through the end of this month. Luck said he interviewed 15-20 people for the new role. “What stuck out in my mind about Doug was a) his intelligence, and b) his willingness to innovate with us. Every football person, to a certain degree, is a traditionalist, but Doug likes to think outside the box, and that was attractive because we want to try to do things a bit differently.”

Oliver Luck also said that one of the first orders of business for Whaley and himself would be to hire coaches and GMs for the eight teams in the league. In the XFL, there will only be one person who will be serving both roles as coach and general manager. Hiring coaches will begin in Q1 of 2019, Luck said. He added that the league might start signing some players, at least QBs, in early 2019. The XFL is set to relaunch on February 8th & 9th, 2020, which is the weekend after The NFL’s Superbowl.