Bob Harlan, the former Green Bay Packers president and CEO who helped steer the franchise into sustained contention, died Thursday at age 89, the team announced.
Harlan spent almost four decades with the organization (1971-2008), serving as president and CEO from 1989 until his retirement in January 2008. His legacy is built on two major, franchise-defining decisions: hiring Ron Wolf as general manager in 1991, then later choosing Ted Thompson in 2005, two GMs who built Super Bowl winners in different eras with different core groups.
From 1993 to 2007, Green Bay posted a 152-88 record, the best in the NFL during that period, and capped its success by bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to town with a victory in Super Bowl XXXI. The Packers also achieved 13 consecutive seasons with a .500 or better record from 1992 to 2004, demonstrating a level of week-to-week consistency that marked the franchise’s most steady period since the 1930s and ‘40s.
Current president and CEO Ed Policy called Harlan’s impact long-lasting beyond his official tenure.
“Bob had a profound impact on the organization and the people that worked here long after he became Chairman Emeritus,” Policy said. “I am personally grateful for his generosity of time and wisdom in mentoring me over the years.”
Wolf, a Pro Football Hall of Fame executive, credited Harlan for trusting him with real authority.
“Bob Harlan gave me an opportunity, and I am deeply indebted to him for that,” Wolf said. “His greatest trait, in my opinion, is that he was an honorable man, a man of his word, a man of character. He was an honor to know and a pleasure to work with.”
Harlan’s tenure also reshaped the business side of the franchise, including the redevelopment of Lambeau Field into a year-round destination. And for those who came later, his decisions still echoed.
“Bob Harlan is a big reason that I was selected by the Green Bay Packers,” former Packers QB Aaron Rodgers said. “In 2005, he hired Ted Thompson as GM, and Ted drafted me in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft. … To me, Bob embodied the spirit of the Green Bay Packers and he truly loved leading the greatest franchise in the NFL. His kind heart, quick wit and steady hand will be remembered by Packers people forever.”
