Former Green Bay Packers president Bob Harlan passed away on Thursday at the age of 89. Harlan served as Packers president from 1989 until 2008. The Packers organization and the fans owe a debt of gratitude to Harlan for all he accomplished for the franchise. The Packers organization was in a much better place after Harlan’s tenure than before he took over both on and off the field. We examine the lasting legacy of former Packers president, Bob Harlan.
“The Packers family was saddened to learn of the passing of Bob Harlan,” Packers president Ed Policy said in a press release. “Bob was a visionary leader whose impact on the franchise was transformational. From his inspired hiring of Ron Wolf to turn around the club’s on-field fortunes to his tireless work to redevelop Lambeau Field, Bob restored the Packers to competitive excellence during his tenure and helped ensure our unique and treasured flagship NFL franchise was on sound footing for sustained generational success. We send our deepest sympathies to his wife, Madeline, and the entire Harlan family.”
The Lasting Legacy of Former Packers President Bob Harlan: Joining the Packers
Harlan joined the Packers organization in 1971 as an assistant general manager to Dan Devine who served as both coach and GM. He held several different administrative positions with the organization for the next 18 seasons until he became the team’s president and CEO in 1989.
It may be difficult for some younger Packers fans to comprehend how dismal things were with the organization in the 1970s and 80s before Harlan took over as president. The team was not winning on the field. In the two decades between 1968 when Vince Lombardi stepped down as head coach and 1988, the year before Harlan took over as president, the Packers had just four winning seasons out of 21. They won just one division title and made just two playoff appearances during that time.
Off the field, there were scandals involving players and the team’s image was at an all-time low. There were questions being raised about the viability of the franchise in Green Bay, the smallest city in North American major league sports.
Turning the Franchise Around
When he took over as president of the Packers, Harlan made some vital decisions. By 1991, he hired Ron Wolf as the team’s new GM. Wolf then hired Mike Holmgrem as the head coach and traded for quarterback Brett Favre.
Many experts claimed the Packers would be unable to compete if the NFL ever had true free agency. They questioned the size of the city, the cold weather and the very small African American population of Green Bay. But when free agency arrived in 1993, it was the Packers who signed the biggest available player, defensive end Reggie White. Harlan helped bring White to Green Bay and that changed the image of the team both on and off the field.
Harlan also made a major decision to have the Packers stop playing games in Milwaukee after the 1994 season. The Packers played games there starting in 1933 but by the 90s, they were losing money by playing at Milwaukee County Stadium.
Harlan moved all home games to Green Bay but decided to continue to designate three home games per year as part of the “Gold Package” which allowed Milwaukee season ticket holders to continue to have access to home games.
The Lasting Legacy of Former Packers President Bob Harlan: Securing the Future
In 2003, Harlan helped pass a 0.5 percent sales tax increase to help pay for the renovation of Lambeau Field. That ultimately passed with 53 percent of the vote. The renovation secured the financial future of the Green Bay Packers and allowed them to compete with the rest of the NFL who play in much larger markets.
In 1997, the Packers also raised money by implementing another stock sale which also raised money for Lambeau Field and for the franchise.
Harlan was president of the Packers when they won Super Bowl XXXI in January of 1997. It was the team’s first championship in 29 years.
Simply put, the Packers were in the wilderness when Harlan took over as team president in 1989. When he retired, the team was secure financially and a consistent winner on the field.
Harlan was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 2004. His impact on the franchise and the city of Green Bay is immense.
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