Michael Huyghue, senior vice president/football operations for the Jacksonville Jaguars, will be leaving the organization to begin a new business partnership. Huyghue, 40, has been with the franchise since March of 1994. A news conference detailing his new position will take place on Monday.
Jaguars Chairman and CEO Wayne Weaver will fill Huyghue's role with the team's vice president/ administration and general counsel, Paul Vance. Vance, whose new title will be senior vice president/football operations, has been with the Jaguars since July of 1994 and has handled all legal matters for the team including business contracts, licensing, litigation and human resources issues.
"I want to thank Michael for his contributions and efforts through the first eight years of this franchise," Weaver said. "He played an important role in our start-up and our success, and I appreciate his contributions to the Jaguars organization. I also understand that his new opportunity is intriguing and challenging, and I'm certain that he will continue to be as successful in his new venture as he has been throughout his professional career.
"We will continue to operate effectively, and Paul Vance will very capably handle these new responsibilities," Weaver added. "Paul and I have had a very close working relationship for more than 10 years. He has been involved in all phases of our operations here, so this will be a seamless transition as we move forward."
Vance became legal counsel for the Jaguars after 21 years of law practice in Connecticut. Prior to his relocating to Jacksonville, Vance represented Weaver and Touchdown, Jacksonville! in the pursuit of an expansion franchise for the city. Vance is also of counsel with Foley & Lardner, the Jaguars' primary law firm. He emphasized corporate and transactional work in private law practice.
A graduate of the University of Rochester, Vance was later a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar at Columbia law school. Locally he serves on the board for Jacksonville's Museum of Science and History and the MaliVai Washington Kids Foundation, and on the business advisory committee for the University of North Florida School of Business.
