As the landscape of college football is changing at a rapid rate due to players’ ability to get paid because of name, image and likeness, many programs have now created a “general manager” role to help oversee things in that department.

On Tuesday, the BYU Cougars football program announced that it has hired Dave George, a lawyer and former BYU rugby player who has most recently worked in sports and entertainment law in St. Louis, to fill the position.

“I’m excited to welcome Dave to BYU in this new position as our general manager,” BYU head football coach Kalani Sitake said in a statement. “As an attorney with a lot of interactions with the NCAA and working in sports law, he has a great understanding of the current state of college football and is extremely forward thinking about where college football is headed.

“He will play an important role on the financial side of our roster management to both educate and protect our players and optimize their opportunities. Dave is extremely intelligent with a skillset that will greatly benefit the players in our program as we move forward in the development of BYU football.”

George graduated from BYU in 2017 and then went to law school at UNLV, graduating in 2020. Prior to working in St. Louis, he served as a law clerk on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Las Vegas for the Honorable Johnnie B. Rawlinson.

“I am thrilled to return to BYU and be part of a program with a fanbase and a network like no other,” George said in a statement. “College football is entering an era of unprecedented growth and opportunity, and I look forward to embracing the challenges and possibilities that come with it.

“Kalani and I share a unified vision: empowering our athletes to excel not only on the field but also in building a strong foundation for their futures. We are deeply committed to fostering their success in life, their careers and as leaders who positively impact and serve their communities. Together, we will continue to honor the rich traditions and core values that define BYU while moving the football program forward into an exciting future.”

Different college football programs around the country have taken different approaches to filling the role of general manager in recent years.

As just a few examples, Utah promoted director of player personnel Robert Blechen to the role. Just last week, Stanford hired alum and four-time NFL Pro Bowl quarterback Andrew Luck to the position.

Other programs, meanwhile, have hired lawyers like BYU did or individuals who had been running NIL collectives.