Director of football administration steps down

A 49ers executive has left the organization, presumably to accept another job, the team confirmed today.

Director of football administration Terry Tumey, a member of the 49ers’ organization for the past eight years, resigned from his post last week. He is believed to be in line to become athletic director at Dominican University in San Rafael.

 

Neither Tumey nor Dominican officials were available for comment.

 

Tumey’s responsibilities with the 49ers included planning and managing the finances for the football administration department, including the scouting and coaching budgets, training room, video department, equipment room, strength and conditioning, travel and training camp.

 

According to the team’s media guide, Tumey assisted in contract negotiations and worked with the management team, while also helping coordinate “the team’s general football activities from inter-club communication to league-level issues and non-player contracts.”

 

Tumey’s position with the 49ers will be filled through the football operations department. Pat McGrath (team logistics coordinator) and Steve Risser (team logistics manager) will assume expanded roles, team spokesperson Lisa Lang said.

 

Tumey came to the 49ers as a personnel assistant in 2001. His duties included evaluating talent and scouting opponents. He was promoted to assistant director of football administration after two years.

 

He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and his master’s in business administration at UCLA, where he played and served as a coach. Tumey spent two years as a defensive assistant for the Denver Broncos prior to joining the 49ers.

 

In 2005, owner John York included Tumey in the process to find a replacement for fired coach Dennis Erickson. Tumey took an active role in the interview process, as the only person among the 49ers’ management team with a background in football. The club eventually hired Mike Nolan.

 

One thing I remember about Tumey is the role he played on behalf of the organization when first-year offensive lineman Thomas Herrion collapsed and died following a 2005 exhibition game in Denver. Tumey flew with Herrion’s body back to his hometown of Fort Worth, Texas. He remained in Texas to comfort the family and handle many of the logistics after the tragedy.

 

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Dominican University has been conducting a national search for an athletic director as the school makes the transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II. The athletic teams are set to move to the Pacific West Conference in the fall. Tumey was known to be one of the finalists for the job, according to sources close to Tumey.

 

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The 49ers will shut down their business office for a week, beginning Monday, June 29, as employees must take required vacation time, Lang said. (The football side of the operation will carry on as usual.)

 

The team’s facility in Santa Clara is undergoing a remodel, and this will allow construction workers to get a lot accomplished during a time that is generally slow for most of the departments within the organization, Lang said. (Pictures of the remodeled weight room can be found on my Facebook page.)

 

It is not uncommon in the many businesses these days to have mandatory furloughs for employees. Lang did not term this as a furlough. She said individuals who have enough paid time off will get paid vacation. However, 49ers employees who have not accrued enough vacation time are not expected to get paid.

 

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