Luverne native Monti Ossenfort is the new general manager of the Arizona Cardinals, according to the NFL team’s announcement earlier this week.
“It was critically important for us to find the right person to lead us as general manager and there is no doubt in my mind that we have that in Monti Ossenfort,” Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said in a statement released Monday.
“He possesses every attribute of a successful GM — passion, leadership, intelligence, work ethic — and his extensive experience has clearly prepared him for this role. We could not be more thrilled to have Monti and his family joining the Cardinals.”
Ossenfort, 44, is a 1996 Luverne High School graduate and the son of Rodger and Dianne Ossenfort, Luverne.
He comes to Arizona from the Tennessee Titans where he has been director of player personnel for the past three seasons.
Ossenfort brings to the job 21 years of NFL experience that includes 15 years with the New England Patriots whom he helped win four Super Bowls and earn seven trips to the Super Bowl overall.
The Patriots reached the postseason 16 times in his 21 years with the franchise.
Ossenfort replaces Steve Keim, who stepped down as the Cardinals’ GM to focus on his health.
According to Bidwell, one of Ossenfort’s immediate tasks will be helping to hire a new head coach to replace the fired Kliff Kingsbury. On the short list is Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who has been with the franchise for the past four seasons.
Ossenfort began his NFL career as an intern with the Vikings in 2001, moved to the Texans in 2002 as a pro personnel intern and first joined the Patriots in 2003 as personal assistant to coach Bill Belichick.
Ossenfort was rehired by the Texans in 2004 as their pro and college scouting assistant and in 2005 was promoted to college scout.
The Patriots hired him as an area scout in 2006 and in 2009 promoted him to a national scout and to assistant director of college scouting.
He became director of college scouting in 2014 when the Patriots went on to win Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale, their fourth Super Bowl title and Ossenfort’s second with the team.
During the remainder of Ossenfort’s time with New England, the Patriots won two additional Super Bowl titles.
Ossenfort played college football for four years and was a two-year starting quarterback for the University of Minnesota-Morris, where he earned a degree in economics and management.
He later earned master’s degrees in business administration and sports management from Ohio University in 2002.
Ossenfort and his wife, Shannon, have three daughters, Emery, Finley and Landry.