Jim Nagy reveals what led him to take Oklahoma GM job: 'You can win big-time there'

In December, Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy interviewed for the New York Jets general manager opening. The job ultimately went to Darren Mougey, but Nagy landed another GM position – only it was at the college level.

Last week, Nagy officially took over as Oklahoma’s general manager, working closely alongside Brent Venables. It was a splash hire for the Sooners, landing a former NFL scout who served as the Senior Bowl’s executive director since 2018.

It was also a surprising move considering Nagy’s role with the Senior Bowl, expanding the game’s profile and becoming a staple in Mobile. But he said the opportunity at Oklahoma was enough for him to leave, and he sees how the school is preparing for the next phase of college athletics.

“It’s exciting, man,” Nagy said on SiriusXM College Sports Radio. “There were some other opportunities – interviewing for that Jets GM job back in December, as well. And I loved the Senior Bowl job. You guys know that. I threw myself into that role pretty heavy over the years, so it was going to take something of this magnitude to leave, to leave Mobile. My daughter’s still in high school. This wasn’t the perfect time for a change, but it’s Oklahoma football. I was asked that question during the interview process, and it’s Oklahoma football.

“You can win and you can win big-time there. Really, just getting in the building and meeting everyone, from President Harroz and Joe Castiglione and Coach Venables. Just really good people there, so it’s set up to success. Credit to leadership there. They are really committed to this new model in college football. Just fired up about it. I can’t wait to get out to Norman.”

Jim Nagy, Brent Venables will work ‘side-by-side’

As Oklahoma’s general manager, Jim Nagy will play a crucial role in roster-building. The position is becoming even more important in college football, and programs continue to look to candidates with NFL experience to fill the role.

Former NFL general manager Michael Lombardi has become one of the most notable GMs in college football, working closely with Bill Belichick at North Carolina. Notre Dame also hired former Detroit Lions executive Mike Martin after Chad Bowden’s departure for USC.

At OU, though, Nagy said roster-building will be a collaborative effort between Brent Venables and himself. They hit it off during the interview process, and it further sold Nagy on the position.

“Coach Venables and I are working side-by-side,” Nagy said. “This is a true collaboration. It’s going to be a great fit. Again, if I would’ve went up to Norman and really not felt that from him, then I wouldn’t have accepted the role. But we’re going to be on the same page. The interview was great because I could feel his passion come out when we were talking about this thing. He’s so high-energy. He’s on the edge of his seat the whole time. We’re talking, then I got on the edge of my seat. We’re both ultra-competitive. So that’s going to be great. But yeah, we’re working in tandem.

“I want to know what Coach Venables looks for in players. I want to know the intangible stuff, the non-negotiables for him. We’re going to get on the same page there. And then, it’s my job to find those players. He still has the vision for this program, and my job is to deliver the players. We’re going to be working under Joe Castiglione and Randall Stephenson, who’s our chief of football. They’ve given us great support. Everyone’s really excited about this thing. We’ve got great things ahead of us. We’re going to be in lockstep. Brent and I are going to be in lockstep, and we know that.”