Co-Chairman
Co-Chairman of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Bryan Glazer has helped revitalize the Buccaneers franchise and brand. Possessing an acute business acumen, Glazer has shaped the Buccaneers into one of the most recognizable and successful franchises in the National Football League as he enters his 15th season with the club in 2009.Working with his brothers, Edward and Joel, Bryan has been instrumental in the team’s ascension through the NFL ranks and transformation into one of the most recognizable teams in the league. His innovative approach to business and proclivity for “thinking outside the box” has resulted in the creation of the club’s “Pewter Partners” program, which rewards Buccaneers’ sponsors with deeper advertising packages and unprecedented customer service.
Glazer also worked closely with designers and graphic artists from NFL Properties in New York and Los Angeles who developed the Buccaneers new logo in 1996-1997. The new design, which was based on research of Caribbean buccaneer history, marked the first significant change to the team logo and uniform in franchise history. Upon its successful unveiling on April 9, 1997, the logo garnered rave reviews from such media outlets as USA Today, Fox Sports, The New York Times and The Washington Post. Perhaps the ultimate testament to the effectiveness of the logo, which consists of a skull and crossed swords on a blood-red, wind swept battle flag, is that it became — and remains — wildly popular among Buccaneers fans. It exemplifies the brand of football played in Tampa Bay.
In addition to his myriad of business-oriented achievements, Glazer also has been involved in a number of vital football-related efforts directly related to the on-the-field success experienced by the Buccaneers, certainly including but not limited to the team’s first Super Bowl championship.
Glazer and his entire family were on hand as Tampa Bay claimed its first NFL title with a 48-21 victory over Oakland in Super Bowl XXXVII in San Diego on January 26, 2003. The Buccaneers, who were making their first appearance in the NFL’s championship game, also claimed the first-ever NFC South title in 2002, then the fourth division crown in team history. Tampa Bay has also claimed two of the past four NFC South titles, winning the division in 2005 and 2007.
In January of 2009, Glazer and his family made the bold decision to hire Raheem Morris, one of the league’s best young talents. Morris became the youngest head coach in the National Football League upon his appointment on January 17, 2009. In addition, the family continued to upgrade off the field by naming long-time Director of Pro Personnel Mark Dominik as the fourth general manager in club history.
During the 2002 offseason, Bryan worked with brothers, Edward and Joel, in hiring Jon Gruden. Glazer, and his family, showed their commitment to building a championship team for the Tampa Bay community in hiring Gruden, who became the youngest head coach in NFL history to win a Super Bowl. Gruden was also the first non-rookie head coach in the history of the NFL to lead his team to the Super Bowl in his first season with a new team.
Glazer worked diligently on helping the organization prepare for the next step in the future. The new, 136,320 square-foot state-of-the-art headquarters and training facility, located across the street from Raymond James Stadium, is the finest in the National Football League. The signature of the new facility is its breathtaking entrance, which features the world’s largest football towering nearly five stories tall. The facility opened to rave reviews in August of 2006 following training camp. It is considered the largest free standing training structure of its kind in professional sports according to industry sources.
An instrumental force in his family’s purchase of the Buccaneers in 1995, Glazer has been a driving force in improving every aspect of the club’s influence both nationally and in the Tampa Bay region. His commitment to the organization and the local community culminated with the club’s effort in constructing the finest stadium facility in professional sports — Raymond James Stadium, which successfully hosted Super Bowl XXXV in January 2001 and played host to Super Bowl XLIII in 2009. Glazer played an integral role in helping to lure the 2009 game to the Bay area, speaking to NFL owners on behalf of the team and the Tampa Bay community at the NFL League meetings in May 2005.
Glazer worked alongside stadium architects and contractors during the construction of Raymond James Stadium to produce his vision of what the premier stadium in the NFL should resemble. Glazer oversaw all phases of the construction of Raymond James Stadium, where the Buccaneers have notched an impressive 58-30 record in the regular season. The state-of-the-art stadium features such amenities as 19-inch wide seats with chairbacks, cupholders, and armrests, concourse televisions, full color replay boards at both ends of the stadium, one of the most sophisticated scoreboard systems in all of professional sports and the centerpiece of the stadium — luxurious club seats and air-conditioned club lounges that make Tampa Bay’s stadium the envy of the NFL.
Along with brothers Edward and Joel, Bryan oversees the day-to-day operation of the entire franchise, including financial operations, marketing and communications. Since the purchase of the team, he has devoted a significant amount of his efforts to such massive projects as the development and construction of Raymond James Stadium, and the restructuring and expansion of the Buccaneers’ staff.
Since Glazer assumed his current role with the club, the Buccaneers can boast a 118-106 (.527) regular-season record and five playoff wins, easily the most successful stretch in club annals. Tampa Bay reached the playoffs for the fourth consecutive time in 2002, the only team in the league to head to the postseason all four years. In addition, the Buccaneers’ seven playoff appearances since 1997 are tied for third-most in the NFL over that span. Prior to Glazer’s arrival, the franchise advanced to the postseason just three times in the previous 19 years, from 1976-1994.
A native of Rochester, New York, the 44-year-old Glazer serves on the NFL’s Digital Media Committee as appointed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and he makes countless community and charitable appearances on behalf of the organization. Glazer Family Foundation programs such as “Cheering You On,” “Prevent Blindness” and the “Ticket Rewards” programs are just a few of the programs in which he takes great pride. Most recently, the foundation donated $5 million toward the construction of a new children’s museum in downtown Tampa, which will be named the Glazer Children’s Museum. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors of the Glazer Children’s Museum, he is also on the Board of Directors Advisory Council for Ronald McDonald House.
In May 2009, the Glazer family was honored with the prestigious Gonzmart Family Ambassador of the Year Award as part of the 26th annual National Tourism Week presented by Tampa Bay & Company. The Ambassador award was presented to the Glazer Family in recognition of their efforts to help the tourism industry in the Bay area as well as their impact on the community overall. One very prominent example of the Glazer Family's impact in Tampa Bay in 2009 was the hosting of Super Bowl XLIII at Raymond James Stadium on February 1, 2009.
Glazer earned his bachelor’s degree in broadcast communications from American University in 1986 prior to completing his law degree from Whittier College School of Law in 1989. Glazer also serves on the Board of Manchester United, which has captured three consecutive Premier League titles (2007, 2008 and 2009) as well as the 2008 Champions League title.
