JACKSONVILLE – David Caldwell is the new general manager of the Jaguars.

Caldwell, a member of the Atlanta Falcons' front office since 2008 and the team's director of player personnel this past season, was hired as the Jaguars' general manager on Tuesday, the team announced Tuesday evening.

"We got our man," Jaguars owner Shad Khan said in a statement. "I have a lot of faith in David Caldwell and I can assure our fans that the best days for the Jacksonville Jaguars are in front of us."

Khan hired Caldwell after a nine-day search that began the day following the Jaguars' final regular season game.

"I am thrilled to accept the offer to become the next general manager of the Jacksonville Jaguars," Caldwell said. "There are no bad GM opportunities in the NFL, but to work on behalf of a dynamic owner in a rabid football city like Jacksonville is truly special.

"This is where I wanted to be and I could not be happier. I can't wait to get to Jacksonville and get started."

Caldwell this past season oversaw both the Falcons' college and professional scouting efforts, working with Falcons General Manager Thomas Dimitroff in those areas.

He also played "a day-to-day role in the analysis and evaluation of the Falcons current roster while aiding in the research on how to acquire future free agents," according to the Falcons.

Caldwell, who spent 10 years with the Indianapolis Colts while that franchise developed into a perennial playoff team and Super Bowl contender, spent 2008-2012 as the Falcons' director of college scouting. In that role, he oversaw the team's college area and regional scouts.

According to the Falcons, Caldwell also "assimilated the information he received and presented it to Dimitroff with a goal of making the NFL Draft as effective as possible."

Caldwell in Indianapolis worked with then-President Bill Polian, joining the Colts when Polian took over that organization in 1998. Caldwell worked for the Colts from 1998-2007, spending his last two seasons there as a Western Regional Scout, with responsibilities including the Pac 10, Big 10 and Big 12.

He previously had worked as an area scout, having started his NFL career with Polian with the Carolina Panthers in 1996-1997 as a scouting assistant.

Caldwell, 38, attended John Carroll University. A native of Buffalo, New York, Caldwell and his wife, Joelle, have one son, David Michael II.