Gilliam-Wiggin era looks to be over
They are a tandem that put together some of the best Vikings rosters on record, including four SuperBowl squads for the purple and gold in the 1970s. But this week the reign of Frank Gilliam and Paul Wiggin, both Vikings staffers almost from the birth of the franchise, came to an end.
Rick Spielman, Vikings VP of player personnel, announced changes to the Vikings personnel department on Thursday. Treating the longtime NFL vets like discount furniture, both were invited to stay on with the club as advisory personnel but without official titles or standing in the personnel department.
Gilliam has already decided to leave, while Wiggin is still considering his options.
George Paton takes over as the director of player personnel, a position formerly held by Scott Studwell, who played his pro ball with the Vikings before joining the team’s staff. Studwell remains on board with the team as the college director.
Scott Kuhn is another new face at Winter Park, stepping in as a pro scout. While the Vikings gave the changes a positive spin, it’s a sad day in Vikingland to see these two long-time vets kicked to the curb with little ceremony.
Let’s hope this new crew can be successful enough at their job of assembling championship-caliber talent that soon the sting of Wiggin and Gilliam leaving the team will be eased by improved on-field results.
