Florida set to hire former Atlanta Falcons staffer as general manager

Florida is expected to hire former Atlanta Falcons Director of Football Operations Nick Polk for its general manager position, a source tells On3. The search launched in August and was run by the consulting firm The Athlete Group.

Working directly with athletic director Scott Stricklin and head football coach Billy Napier, it’s the latest move by a Power 4 institution to prepare for the impact of the multibillion-dollar House settlement. During his time with the Falcons, Polk spent five seasons as the director of football administration before being promoted to director of football operations.

He worked with general manager Thomas Dimitroff on contracts, negotiations and salary cap management. The salary cap chief also led Atlanta’s compliance with the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement.

Polk was previously head football coach at his alma mater, Lock Haven University. He’s also made coaching stops at James Madison, Brown University, Delaware State University and Southern Connecticut State University. He was a candidate for the Washington Commanders general manager position in January 2021, too.

In recent years, Polk has worked for the agency Athletes First and lives in Gainesville. While full details of the general manager position are unclear, a source told On3 that the staffer will play a key role in the handling of revenue sharing for Florida.

With the multibillion-dollar House settlement, schools will opt-in to a revenue-sharing agreement, with the option to share roughly $20.5 in 2025 with players. That number will increase over the 10-year settlement. Roster limits have been set at 105 for football, up from the current 85-man NCAA scholarship limit.

“Ultimately when you talk about NIL revenue share, the game continues to evolve, and I think it’s critical we have to move forward here and pursue some national standards,” Napier said at SEC media days last summer. “The players want it, and I promise you the coaches want it.”