Washington Hires Former Player as N.F.L.’s First Black Team President - 2 minutes read


Snyder hired Ron Rivera, one of only four head coaches of color in the league, in late December. He has also brought in new front office personnel and broadcasters. He fired several top employees just before and after The Washington Post published an investigation that included accusations by 15 women of rampant sexual harassment by male co-workers in the team’s front office. Snyder hired a high-powered law firm to review the women’s claims.

Wright, who as a consultant helped companies transform their corporate cultures, said he hoped to use the findings as a springboard to change the team’s internal operations.

“There’s no time to waste on the culture side of it,” he said, so that the team has “a work environment that attracts the best people in sports.”

Three of the team’s minority shareholders, who together own about 40 percent of the club, have also been trying to sell their stakes. Snyder has suggested in legal filings that one of those shareholders, Dwight Schar, may be involved in a scheme to defame him.

Wright will have to lean on his business acumen to navigate the turmoil. Before joining McKinsey, he earned an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. After finishing high school in Diamond Bar, Calif., about 30 miles outside Los Angeles, Wright attended Northwestern, where he majored in psychology. He played wide receiver before switching to running back. In his four college seasons, he rushed for 2,625 yards, seventh most in team history.

Wright was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2004 by the San Francisco 49ers, but was cut before the end of the preseason. He spent most of the season on the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad before joining the active roster and appearing in two games at the end of the year.

He spent the next four seasons with the Cleveland Browns. His best season was in 2007, when he rushed for 277 yards and a touchdown and caught 24 passes for 233 yards. In 2009, he signed a two-year, $2 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals.

Source: New York Times

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