The long-serving departure of Texas President Jamey Rootes became official on Wednesday morning when he notified his staff that he had resigned and ended his more than 20-year association with the organization.
Rootes’ resignation takes effect immediately.
In the service of the late owner, Bob McNair, Rootes helped make the Texans one of the most financially profitable franchises in the NFL.
As team president, Rootes oversaw the business and administrative side of the organization, which became one of the most successful in professional sports, selling out every game at the NRG Stadium from 2002 to 2019 before COVID-19 forced limited ticket sales last season. .
“I think the organization is in an excellent position from a business perspective,” Rootes said Wednesday morning. “We have an excellent leadership team. I thought the time was right for me to do something different.
“I’m young enough to have a new opportunity to create something new.”
Rootes, 54, was the president and general manager of the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer when team owner Lamar Hunt recommended him to McNair.
More than a year before the Texans played their first season in 2002, McNair appointed Rootes as the team’s senior vice president of marketing to help arouse interest in the Houston business community expansion team.
In 2005, McNair promoted Rootes to president, a position he held until he stepped down in the resignation of Cal McNair, who has led the team since his father lost his battle with cancer in November 2018.
“I love Cal like a brother,” Rootes said. ‘This idea (resignation) is not new to me. When Bob’s health began to decline, I thought it was important for the organization to have stability during this window. When Bob passed away, I felt I owed it to Cal to be here. ”
Last season, Rootes created controversy when he fired Amy Palcic, the popular vice president of communications, during the season, who reacted negatively locally and nationally.
Over the years, Rootes has been part of the team’s search committees that recommend new coaches and general managers for Bob and Cal McNair.
As Rootes was promoted to team president, the Texans won several awards on the business side of the organization. In 2020, Rootes wrote the book “The Winning Game Plan: A Proven Leadership Play Book for Continuous Success”.
Rootes said he plans to take at least six months off to spend more time with his family. He will continue to promote his book, teach at the University of Houston and speak in public.
“I want to put in enough time to decide what’s best for me in the future, ‘he said. ‘It (resignation) is difficult because of the people. They are special to me. I’m feeding the energy of our fans, our staff and our customers, and I’m going to miss them. ”
Rootes’ longtime right-wing, senior vice president of corporate development, Greg Grissom, will oversee the business industry until a new president is appointed. Grissom has been with the Texans since 2002.