Mike Tannenbaum
After studying at UMass Amherst, Mike worked his way up the NFL ranks to become general manager of the New York Jets and now Executive Vice President of Football Operations at Miami Dolphins.
Mike Tannenbaum'91
I got to say, I took my UMass experience completely for granted. And I didn't realize what an incredible, special place UMass was. But over time as my experiences, as I have gone through life, this place is absolutely second to none. I'm on campus today. And I'm going to see Lisa Masteralexis who is my Sports Management professor from '91. And I can tell you this, she cares most when I hit bumps in the road. And to have those sort of people that care and care that much-- and that's going back 25 years. The professors here care and care deeply. I think the student body is terrific. It's just an incredible experience. So I'm the Executive Vice President of Football Operations for the Miami Dolphins. I get to oversee all the big picture things, all the strategic planning. I feel so privileged to have worked my way up from being an intern to running the pro personnel department, assistant GM, GM. So I think I've told everybody, my investment now is in the organization. And I've been fortunate to have most of the jobs in the building, so I feel like I can help from that perspective. Man, to work at the NFL, there's nothing like it. It's incredible to be able to compete every day at the highest level in football. I wouldn't have been able to accomplish what I have in my career without the Sports Management program and the professors, the network of people. And I'm proud to say that we have three full-time employees at the Miami Dolphins that went to UMass, including our general manager. And we're going to hire countless more because they're great people. When I see UMass on a resume, what it represents to me is someone that's smart, tough, hardworking. It means a lot. And it's something now I always have a real natural affinity to. I'm Mike Tannenbaum, Executive Vice President of Football Operations for the Miami Dolphins. I stand for choose a job you love, and you'll never work a day in your life. And I stand for UMass.