The San Francisco 49ers announced on Friday that Tom Gamble has been promoted to director of player personnel.
"We are very fortunate to have a guy with the wide range of experience that Tom possesses," said 49ers General Manager Trent Baalke. "He's worked with some of the best in the business throughout his career, and has been around football his entire life. As good as he is at what he does professionally; he's an even better person and a great fit for the 49ers."
While working closely with Baalke, Gamble will now oversee both the college and pro personnel efforts of the 49ers, after having served as the team's director of pro personnel since 2005.
Gamble, who enters his 24th NFL season, has an extensive resume which includes work in both college and pro personnel, contract negotiations and a stint in the coaching ranks. He is the product of a football family, as his father, Harry, served as the General Manager and later the President of the Philadelphia Eagles. Harry also served as head coach of both the University of Pennsylvania and Lafayette College, before coaching on Dick Vermeil's Eagles staff.
In his previous role with the 49ers as director of pro personnel, Gamble monitored every NFL roster with an emphasis on scouting talent of upcoming pro free agents, while also maintaining continuous depth of personnel on the 49ers roster. Early in 2010, he had been assigned additional responsibilities in collegiate scouting, particularly regarding the preparation for that year's NFL draft.
During his time in the NFL, Gamble has helped build nine playoff teams – five with Indianapolis and four with Philadelphia. Prior to his arrival in San Francisco, Gamble served as a college scout for the Colts from 1998 through the 2005 draft, under veteran NFL executive Bill Polian.
Gamble originally entered the NFL as an assistant in the player personnel department of the Philadelphia Eagles, in 1988. He stayed with the Eagles through 1994, serving as a college scouting administrator, area scout, contract negotiator, and later served as the director of pro scouting.
From 1995 to 1996, Gamble served as a defensive assistant/quality control coach with the New York Jets. He later worked as a part-time college scout for the Carolina Panthers before serving as a pro scout for the Baltimore Ravens, in 1997.
Gamble earned his B.S. from High Point University in 1987 and an M.S. from Rowan University in 1988.
