Scott Pioli
Scott Pioli (born March 31, 1965) is an American football executive who most recently worked as the assistant general manager for the Atlanta Falcons. He was an NFL analyst for NBC Sports' Football Night in America, NBC Sports Network's Pro Football Talk,[1] Sirius XM NFL Radio[2] and the NFL Network.[3] He previously served as a front office executive for the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs.[4] Pioli served as the director – and later vice president – of player personnel for the Patriots from 2001 to 2008 when the franchise won three Super Bowl championships.
Personal information
Early life[edit]
Pioli grew up in Washingtonville, New York and attended Washingtonville High School, where he played linebacker and defensive line before graduating in 1983. Between 1983 and 1988 he attended Central Connecticut State University, graduating in 1988 with a degree in communications.[4] He was a three-time Division II All-New England selection as a defensive tackle.[4] In 2005, Central Connecticut inducted Pioli into their hall of fame. In 1988, after graduating with a degree in communications, he accepted a two-year graduate assistant position at Syracuse University, where he also earned a master's degree from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.[4]
Pioli served as a graduate assistant with the Syracuse football team from 1988 to 1989.[4] In 1990, he began a two-year stint at Murray State University as an offensive line coach in his first year (1990) and as a defensive line coach in his second year (1991).[4]
Professional executive career[edit]
Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens[edit]
In 1992, Pioli was hired as a pro personnel assistant by Bill Belichick, then the head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Pioli's relationship with Belichick dated back to the mid-1980s, when as a student at Central Connecticut, Pioli would drive 90 minutes to the New York Giants training camp. Through a mutual friend, Pioli was introduced to then-Giants defensive coordinator Belichick, who was impressed at Pioli's dedication to travel to each practice and offered him a place to stay.[5]
In Cleveland, Pioli was responsible for the evaluation of both college prospects and veteran free agents, as well as negotiating various player contracts.[4] When the Browns moved to Baltimore after the 1995 season, Pioli stayed with the team and was promoted to Pro Personnel Coordinator for the Ravens' 1996 season and was part of the personnel staff that drafted eventual HOFers Jonathan Ogden and Ray Lewis.
New York Jets[edit]
In 1997, Pioli rejoined Belichick and was hired by the New York Jets as the team's director of pro personnel.[4] Pioli was credited with the signing of a number of veteran free agents, including Kevin Mawae, Vinny Testaverde and Bryan Cox, who played critical roles in the Jets' rebuilding process which helped the team rebound from a 1–15 record in 1996 to a 12–4 record in 1998.[4] The 1998 Jets recorded a franchise-high 12 wins and their first division title since 1968.
Personal life[edit]
Pioli and his wife Dallas have a daughter named Mia Costa. Mia was born in 2003 while Pioli was in New England. While he was with the Kansas City Chiefs, Pioli often brought his daughter on the field before games. Mia attended high school at The Lovett School in Atlanta, Georgia, and is now a student at Boston College.[4] Dallas is the daughter of former NFL head coach Bill Parcells.
He currently serves on the board of directors for various non-profit foundations including The Alliance Theater in Atlanta and College for Every Student (CFES), a national non-profit organization that partners with public schools in high-need communities to raise student aspirations and performance. Pioli has also established and endowed scholarships at his alma mater, Central Connecticut State University for students that have been named CFES Scholars. While in Kansas City, he and his wife were very involved with The Children's Place and they served as Co-Chairs for their 2013 Gala.[26]
In addition to the endowed scholarship at CCSU, Pioli has established an endowed arts scholarship at the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) and another at WIN for KC (Women's Intersport Network), a program designed to develop the physical and emotional well-being of girls and women through involvement in sports and fitness while providing opportunities for participation and leadership development. While employed with the Chiefs, he also created a program that awarded two annual scholarships for children of Chiefs employees.[27]
Pioli still serves as advisory council member of the NFL's Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship,[28] helping to make the NFL a more diverse and inclusive league. He also served on the NFL's general managers' advisory committee,[29] providing advice and counsel to the NFL Football Operations department on the integrity of the game and possible areas for improvement. He also was a member of the NFL's CEC Executive Working Group,[30] a subcommittee of the Management Council Executive Committee.
Pioli was inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.[31]