The drawn-out departure of Texas President Jamey Rootes became official on Wednesday morning when he informed his staff that he has resigned, ending his more than 20-year association with the organization.
Rootes’ resignation is effective immediately.
Hired by the late owner, Bob McNair, Rootes helped make the Texans one of the most financially profitable franchises in the NFL.
As the team chairman, Rootes oversaw the business and administrative side of the organization that became one of the most successful in professional sports, selling out every game at NRG Stadium from 2002 through 2019 before COVID-19 forced limited ticket sales last season.
“I think the organization is in a great place from a business point of view,” said Rootes Wednesday morning. “We have a great leadership team. I thought the time was right to do something different.
“I am young enough to find another opportunity to create something new.”
Rootes, 54, was the president and general manager of Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew when team owner Lamar Hunt recommended him to McNair.
More than a year before the Texans played their inaugural season in 2002, McNair hired Rootes as the team’s senior vice president of marketing to spark interest in the expansion team within Houston’s corporate world.
In 2005, McNair Rootes was promoted to president, a position he held until he handed in his resignation to Cal McNair, who has led the team since his father lost his battle against cancer in November 2018.
“I love Cal like a brother,” said Rootes. “This idea (resignation) is not new to me. As Bob’s health began to deteriorate, it was important to me that the organization had stability during this time. When Bob passed away, I felt like I owed it to Cal to be here. “
Last season, Rootes sparked controversy when he fired popular vice president of communications Amy Palcic during the season, receiving a negative reaction locally and nationally.
Over the years, Rootes served on the team’s search committees that recommended new coaches and general managers to Bob and Cal McNair.
Since Rootes was promoted to team president, the Texans have won multiple awards on the business side of the organization. In 2020, Rootes wrote a book, “The Winning Game Plan: A Proven Leadership Play Book for Continuous Success.”
Rootes said he plans to take off for at least six months to spend more time with his family. He will continue to promote his book, teach at the University of Houston, and do some public speaking.
“I want to take plenty of time to decide what’s best for me,” he said. “This (dismissal) is difficult because of the people. They are special to me. I feed on the energy of our fans, our staff and our customers, and I will miss them. “
Rootes’ right-hand man, senior vice president of business development Greg Grissom, will oversee operations until a new president is hired. Grissom has been with the Texans since 2002.