_-_Bill_Polian.jpg) Polian in 2007 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1942-12-08)December 8, 1942 (age 83) The Bronx, New York, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school | Mount Saint Michael Academy (The Bronx, New York) |
| College | NYU |
| Career history | |
Operations | |
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Administration | |
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| Awards and highlights | |
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| Executive profile atPro Football Reference | |
William Patrick Polian Jr. (born December 8, 1942) is an American former professionalfootball executive. He rose to league prominence as thegeneral manager of theBuffalo Bills, building a team that participated in four straightSuper Bowls—the most consecutive appearancesby any team—but lost each time. Following his stint in Buffalo, Polian went on to become the general manager of the expansionCarolina Panthers. He then served as general manager and team president of theIndianapolis Colts of theNational Football League (NFL) from1998 to2011, where they reached twoSuper Bowls, winningSuper Bowl XLI. He subsequently served as anNFL analyst forESPN. Polian was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. Polian co-founded the now-defunctAlliance of American Football in 2018.
Throughout the course of his career, Polian was awarded theNFL Executive of the Year award an NFL record six times, winning it twice with the Bills, twice with the Panthers, and twice with the Colts.
Polian grew up in theFordham section of theBronx inNew York City and graduated fromMount Saint Michael Academy in 1960.[1] He attended theUnited States Merchant Marine Academy and graduated fromNew York University in 1964 with a history degree.[2] At NYU, Polian played atsafety for theNYU Violets football club team.[1] He lived inCornwall, New York from 1977 to 1983.
Polian began his career in professional football as a scout for the Montreal Alouettes in 1976, followedMarv Levy to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1978, eventually leaving the team in 1982 and joining theChicago Blitz of theUnited States Football League, as personnel director in 1983.[3][4] The Blitz shut down in 1984, and Polian moved back to theCanadian Football League, where he assembled aGrey Cup winning team with theWinnipeg Blue Bombers.[5] Early on in his career, he was a coach for the now defunct football teams atManhattan College and theTrinity School, both in New York City.
Polian was general manager for theBuffalo Bills from 1986 to 1992.[5] When Polian was promoted to general manager of the Bills on December 30, 1985, the Bills were suffering from back-to-back 2–14 seasons and fan interest was at an all-time low. Polian was originally hired as director of pro personnel for the Bills on August 2, 1984. Polian was instrumental in the signing ofBruce Smith to his first NFL contract, after which he was promoted to GM in 1985.[6] While GM of the Bills, Polian won the NFL Executive of the Year Award twice, in 1988 and in 1991.[7] After the1992 season, on February 4, 1993, after the Bills had appeared in, and lost, their third straight Super Bowl, Polian was fired as general manager.[8][9]
In 2012, Polian became the 28th inductee into theBuffalo Bills Wall of Fame.
Polian was general manager of theCarolina Panthers from 1995 to 1997.[10] He tried to create the quickest Super Bowl winner in history, and nearly did so, building a team that went to theNFC Championship Game in only its second year of existence. This feat led him to a promotion, becoming not just the GM, but the president of the Indianapolis Colts.
In 1998, Polian was hired as president and decided to build through the draft as theIndianapolis Colts would have the No. 1 overall pick for1998; the Colts pickedPeyton Manning. In 2002, Polian hired head coachTony Dungy.
During his tenure, the Colts led the NFL with eight consecutive playoff appearances and seven consecutive seasons of 12 or more regular-season victories. They won seven division titles (1999, 2003–07, 09), wonSuper Bowl XLI against theChicago Bears, and made a second Super Bowl appearance inSuper Bowl XLIV under coachJim Caldwell but lost to theNew Orleans Saints. From 2000 to 2009, the Colts (115–45) set the NFL mark for most wins in a decade, and their nine playoff berths tied the NFL record set byDallas in the 1970s. Polian stepped down as general manager in 2009, being succeeded by his sonChris, but remained with the team as president and vice-chairman.
In 2006, according toJay Glazer of FOX Sports, Polian reportedly shoved aNew York Jets employee by pinning him against a wall, for placing speakers too close to the field during warmups.[11] The league required Polian to issue a written apology to the Jets employee.[12]
Polian and his son Chris were fired by ownerJim Irsay after the Colts finished with a 2–14 record in the2011 season.[13]
On January 31, 2015, it was announced that Polian had been elected to thePro Football Hall of Fame.[14] On January 1, 2017, Polian became the 13th inductee into theIndianapolis Colts Ring of Honor.[15]
In March 2018, Polian announced the creation of anoff-season professional football league, called theAlliance of American Football, which he co-founded withCharlie Ebersol.[16] The league began playing in February 2019, with television broadcasts produced byCBS Sports, and airing onCBS,CBS Sports Network,TNT, andNFL Network.[17] On April 2, 2019, the league's football operations were suspended by controlling ownerThomas Dundon, who purchased his stake in the league shortly after it began play.[18][19]
In January 2022, theChicago Bears brought in Polian to help lead their search for a new head coach and general manager.[20] The Bears went on to hire Colts defensive coordinatorMatt Eberflus andKansas City Chiefs director of player personnelRyan Poles for the respective positions.[21]
Polian is married to Eileen and has four kids: Lynn,Chris,Brian, and Dennis. Polian has nine grandkids: Annie, William, Jack, Caroline, Kate, Aidan, Charlotte, Finn, and Millie.[22][23] Polian joinedESPN in 2012 as an NFL analyst.[24]
Media related toBill Polian at Wikimedia Commons