Dave Gettleman is the Senior Vice President and general manager for the New York Giants of the NFL. His name is entangled in some kind of controversy every now and then. In 2021, he was criticized for his poor draft record by former Giants players and fans as well.
Success does not come with ease, negligence, and imitation. It takes an average man to stand tall with a laser-like focus and then double his tolerance threshold to achieve greatness.
In like manner, Dave Gettleman’s success story is not the result of one-night magic.
It took days and nights, step-by-step embracing all the phases that came across in his life. Before that, he was just a face trying to set his identification.
Likewise, he has worked with four different franchises for years during his 30 years of NFL career.
Scanning over his past, he was a football coach at a high school and also a driver ed teacher, a man simply holding multiple professional titles.
As an executive, he has led his teams to Super Bowl Championship three times.
Come, let’s dig into his old days and try to reveal the best about him, and explore his personal and professional life through this article.
But before that, catching a glimpse into the quick facts is a must to understand him better.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | David Alan Gettleman |
| Birth Date | February 21, 1951 |
| Birth Place | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Nick Name | The Mayor |
| Religion | Messianic Jew |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Education | Boston Latin School, Springfield College |
| Horoscope | Pisces |
| Father’sName | Not known |
| Mother’sName | Not known |
| Siblings | Not known |
| Age | 73 years old |
| Height | Not available |
| Weight | Not available |
| Hair Color | Grey |
| Eye Color | Not available |
| Career Highlights and Awards | 3 times Super Bowe wl Champion (XXXII, XLII, XLVI) |
| Build | Athlete |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Joanne Gettleman |
| Kids | Aaron, Samuel, and Ana Jane |
| Position | Senior Vice President and General Manager |
| Profession | American Football Executive |
| Net Worth | Not known |
| Salary | Not known |
| Currently Works for | Retired |
| League | NFL |
| Active Since | 1986- present |
| Social Media | Not available |
| Giants’ Merch | Jersey, Shorts, Hoodie |
| Last Update | April, 2024 |
Dave Gettleman | Early Life and Education
David Alan Gettleman was born on February 21, 1951, in Boston, Massachusetts. Sadly, many things about his early life go unrevealed, like his parents’ names, siblings, and childhood stories.
But we can surely talk about his schooling days and the college that he got enrolled into. Dave spent most of his childhood in Mattapan, the neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.
He then attended Boston Latin School, where he got a chance to play football with the varsity team.
For his further studies, Dave joined Springfield College, where he mastered playing offensive tackle on the first-year football team and also managed to earn a degree in education.
Dave acquired two master’s degrees, one in physical education from Southern Connecticut State in 1978 and another in sports administration in 1986 from St. Thomas University.
Dave Gettleman | Football Career
Coaching
Well, Spackenkill High School is an inseparable part of his football career. Dave took his first job as a coach in Poughkeepsie, New York. He stayed there as a head coach from 1973-78 and 1980-81.
During his stint at Spacekenkill High School, Dave headed his teams to two league titles that are too battling against schools twice the size of Spacekenkill.
This was all about his achievement, but do you know he had his best days of life while working at Spacekenkill.
Spacekenkill Is Where Gettleman Became Gettleman
Colleen Drummond, one of his former students, spoke of him,
“Dave was the most loved teacher during his teaching period. He loved and cared for the kids and people, unlike many people out there. It was rare to see that kind of affinity.”
On the other hand, Dave cherishes those eight long years spent at Spacekenkill. He was the one to first establish the school’s football event in 1973; he was just twenty-two years old back then.
Now, let’s talk about his office, the small space that remains intact, which helped him build his career from scratch.
Though the football team’s weight room is turned into a janitorial closet, few things in his office are still the same and give a refreshing vibe.
To name a few, there is the same whiteboard on which Gettleman used to draw plays, and the office is behind the overstuffed trashcans and mops in buckets.
There are the same tiles from 40 years ago which we would normally find in our bathroom.
There are few upgrades after Clinton DeSouza became the school’s coach ten years ago.
He did not work for Mr. Gettleman, but he said, “Hiring him for the GM post was a proud moment for this building.”
A couple of years ago, Gettleman showed up for homecoming and an event organized to celebrate the reunion of the school’s first-ever championship team.
The whole room was filled with current and former students, teachers, and colleagues who could not get enough of him.
Dave shared most of the funny stories about his stay at Spackenkill. Addressing football in the high school program was just not a job to Dave but a passion project.
The one thing that Dave knew was, Individuals don’t bring in the championship but teams do.
Beloved Drivers Ed Teacher
Abby Donnelly, who now lives in Charlotte’s home, while eating breakfast with her husband, happened to find out about the new Panthers general manager, Dave Gettleman.
Apparently, Dave was the same person who coached football and taught her driver’s education in Poughkeepsie.
And Donnelly could not stop herself from mentioning good words about her driver’s ed teacher back then.
For any human, who has taken driving classes from him, the tips, techniques, and guidelines will last for a lifetime. He was a teacher with purpose, and the sense of calm that Dave featured was remarkable.
Dave never yelled at his students, even when the moment called for some scolding and rebuking. While sharing her experience, Donnelly also stated that she was never worried about being in the car with him.
Dave inbuilt confidence in anybody who came along his way in search of honest guidance.
He would not completely control his anger, but then he used to give a noogie to others head whenever he got irritated.
Not to mention, already being busy as an ed teacher and football coach, Coach G insisted on teaching basketball to the JV girls basketball team. He did agree but could only last there for a season.
A Kind Soul
Hold on, people, if you think Dave was the kind of guy who was only bounded by his professional responsibilities, then you are wrong.
He was a kind soul who understood humanity, not biasness. During his time, there were two male students who lived with seven brothers and sisters and a single mother.
Their alcoholic and unwise father was missing or was not willing to perform his side of duty.
Well, if you must be wondering, how did Dave play a role in this scenario? Then here is the brief; he made sure that the students attended their classes on time.
If they did not show up, he would take his student driver’s car, get them out of bed and drive them to school.
The three major traits that he carried in his nature were love, respect, and discipline. Dave always stayed friendly and strict at the same time while mentoring the kids.
He knew how to maintain that fine thin line of a tutor and friend. Grinding harder with his responsibilities, he was innovative in his schemes and disciplines on the field.
Post Career After Spackenkill
Dave worked as a volunteer assistant at Cal State Long Beach in 1979 for a whole season.
Thereafter, he became a part of the Kingston High School faculty in 1982; the path led him to become a head coach in 1984.
During his stint at Kingston High School, Dave headed his squad to a Section I Bowl berth.
Front Office
Well, stepping into NFL in 1986 as a scouting intern for Buffalo Bills was like opening a new chapter in his book of life.
Dave spent the next seven years working in their scouting department and later moved on with the Broncos.
To brief his time with the Bills, he just remained a scouting intern for the first year, but the next year he became a full-time area scout after the 1987 draft.
Following that, Dave was assigned to represent the Bills in the BLESTO scouting.
Dave showed his capabilities working as a regional scout for BLESTO from June 1992 through December 1993.
Dave took the scouting job offered by the Denver Broncos after the 1993 season and worked till the 1997 season.
The next organization that he stepped into was New York Giants in 1998, again as a scout. Uniting with the Giants rendered him with multiple promotions and opportunities step by step.
Dave was upgraded to the post of Senior pro personnel analyst in 1999 and later, in 2012, announced as the Senior Pro Personnel Analyst.
Carolina Panthers
In January 2013, Dave got hired as the General Manager of the Carolina Panthers.
Jerry Richardson, the founder of the company, was really impressed with his experience and work, and thought him to be the perfect fit for the organization.
At the same time, even Dave took the circle as a good nucleus to be with. Dave headed his team to the Super Bowl 50 on February 7, 2016.
However, his squad faced a loss to the Broncos by a score of 24-10. In the five years, the Panthers upgraded to the playoffs three seasons and conquered 3 NFC south titles.
Return to the Giants
Well, some professional names hold an irreplaceable place in one’s life. And so did New York Giants in his life. After six years, on December 28, 2017, Dave was announced as the new general manager of the New York Giants.
John Mara, the president, and Steve Tisch, the franchise’s chairman, noticed his proven track record and hired him as the general manager finding him best for the post.
They believed that Dave would be bringing his own style to our company in the process of drafting and obtaining athletes through free agency. And no doubt, he did.
Dave did not go mad after spending the fund on potential players. Instead, he took note of players with settled histories. He, along with three other candidates, was interviewed.
Kevin Abrams, the interim general manager, Marc Ross, Giants’ vice president of player evaluation, and Louis Riddick, former NFL personnel executive and current ESPN analyst, were the people interviewed.
And as per sources, Dave is still running with the Giants with the same title, performing the same duties and responsibilities. And he is the one to accumulate the best players for the roster position.
However, many considered the Giants contract signing with Odell Beckham Junior for $90 million by Gettleman, a bad move.
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2019 And 2020 Hire
Hiring star running back Saquon Barkley, the No. 2 overall draft pick in 2018, and quarterback Daniel Jones, the sixth overall pick in 2019, was all his part of the construction.
Besides that, some of his best free agent signings in 2020 were Logan Ryan, Blake Martinez, and James Bradberry.
Executive Stats And Win-Loss Record
| Year | W | L | T | W playoff | L playoff |
| Total | 70 | 74 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
Dave Gettleman | Personal Life, Wife, And Kids
Coming to the personal aspects of his life, Dave is a happily married man. He tied the knot with his lovely wife Joanne Holt in 1984 and has three kids; Aaron, Sam, and Ana.
The duo first came across each other in 1983 at a wedding where Dave was called by one of his former students, and accidentally, Joanne also happened to be there. She is also a Spackenkill Alum.
As per Fabwags, Joanne is a former preschool worker, and when they stayed in Florida, she worked as a preschool supervisor for kids who have cerebral palsy.
To remain specific, Joanne was the one to make the earnings and run the home at that time. She made $21000 compared to her husband’s $18,000 scouting for the Buffalo Bills.
However, no matter what, Joanne always stood by her husband’s side and supported her throughout the thick and thins.
Not to mention, Dave’s son Sam works as a Support Technician at Berkeley College Information Technology and Services.
Likewise, daughter Ana is at YWAM Minneapolis, while Aaron lives in New Jersey and is married. Now, this was all about his personal life and family.
Like any other normal human being on the planet, even he had his own ups and downs. Not everything was smooth and sailing in his life.
Dave Gettleman Was Diagnosed With Lymphoma.
The news got widely spread when Dave announced his battle with Lymphoma on June 05, 2018. He was 67 years old and found out about his disease during a medical checkup.
Dave was clearly allowed to make a presence for his work as the doctors showed a positive outlook for the treatment, and the prognosis was also positive.
After going through at least seven rounds of chemotherapy, the doctors at Hackensack University Medical Center told him he was in remission.
Not to mention, each chemo round included five days in the hospital. Family support was already there.
But moreover, the amount of support that Dave gathered from the Giant organization itself was beyond anyone’s imagination. It made him feel strong physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Dave Gettleman | Controversy
His poor draft record was heavily criticized by his former giants players and fans. He was failing to fix the offensive line; missing on several quarterbacks in the 2018 draft.
His lackluster signings of the free agents which includes Golden Tate, who was promptly suspended, and Kenny Golladay for a 4-year deal worth $72 million. Both of these players struggled to perform.
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Most Controversial Moves By Dave Gettleman
- Signing, and then trading, WR Odell Beckham Jr. (2019) : Giants signed a star receiver, Beckham, for 5-year deal worth $95 million with $65 million guaranteed and was traded to Cleveland Browns in a quick succession.
- Trading DE Jason Pierre-Paul (2018) : The Giants granted JPP a four-year, $62 million contract before Gettleman took over because they saw him as the defensive core. But Gettleman wanted to get rid of the contract so he could have more money for free agency in the future. He also viewed JPP as part of the problem with a bad locker room culture.
- Signing WR Golden Tate (2019) : Giants gave Tate a three-year, $37.5 million contract with $23 million guaranteed after trading Beckham; it was a spectacular failure – suspended for violating the NFL’s policy on Performance Enhancing Drugs.
- Signing G Patrick Omameh (2018) : He didn’t get a big deal (just three years, $15 million with $5.5 million guaranteed), he was another sign of how badly Gettleman failed to find his beloved “Hog Mollies.” Omameh was signed to be the Giants’ starting guard. He ended up hurting his knee, lost his starting job, and was finally cut halfway through his first season with the team.
Dave Gettleman | Net Worth And Salary
Dave Gettleman, as a general manager, tries hard to maintain the right salary management strategy.
Looking at his name and fame, it is no hidden fact that Dave is living a lavish life.
Many report suggests that his net worth is estimated to be around $3 million– $5 million.
The experienced and veteran ones can earn more than a million. The GM is one of the highest-paid front-office employees. Thus, their salary is directly decided by the CEO or owner.
The factors that affect their salary amount, in general, are the leadership structure, the team’s overall performance, and attendance.
The Reason Behind Keeping Dave Gettleman
Pat Shurmur and Dave Gettleman were two personnel who banded together in 2017 to help restructure Giants. However, Pat got fired in 2019, and Dave successfully held the same position.
Giant’s co-owner, John Mara, said a few words in his favor,
“Dave was our general manager in 2020 and, hopefully, for many years to come. He is the perfect fit for our organization who can guide us moving forward.”
The only reason to hold him back for the Giants was an easy-going technique to handle the bad contracts and overpaid players, clearing salary cap space and restocking the team with youth.
They had $90 million in the year 2020 to spend for the offseason in salary-cap space. And also, Dave accumulated a nucleus of smart players for championships in the future.
Dave Gettleman | Retirement
After Dave announced his retirement as Senior Vice President and General Manager after the end of 2021 season, Giants began to search for next General Manger.
He was appreciated by the Owner of Giants, Mara and Tisch, for his commitment and being an integral part in building three of the Super Bowl teams. The Owners stated highly about the former General Manager and his wife.
Dave Gettleman | Social Media Presence
This must be quite the saddest part of the article to the Gettleman fans out there. We could not really find him on social media, which means he is not active and has no account.
But yes, while searching for his social media handles on google, we found some fake accounts embedded with his name.
They must be the Anti-Gettleman population, and well when people start criticizing behind your back. Think, you are becoming successful.
Dave Gettleman | Popularity
Gettleman thorough out his career been a popular name, thanks to his controversial moves.
This graph demonstrate his popularity in the United States of America.
Dave Gettleman | FAQs
How long has Dave Gettleman been working with the Giants?
As an NFL scout executive, Dave holds more than 30 years of experience and can be claimed as a veteran. He grabbed the General Manager position for the Giants in 2017, and still, he is clinging to that post.
Did Dave Gettleman retire from the Giants?
Yes, Dave Gettleman announced the end of his tenure as a General Manager of the Giants on Jan 10, 2022.
He served the team for four years as a GM and described it as a privilege to have been able to work with the team.
What did Dave Gettleman say in the year-end press conference?
Dave Gettleman said that the two years have been productive and that the arrow is pointing up is the year-end press conference. He said,
“As I’ve already admitted, ’18 was not a stellar year, personnel-wise. We’ve learned from our mistakes. Our processes are better. I think this past year showed the fruits of that, both in free agency and in the draft. I really believe strongly we’ll continue in that way.”
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