New York Dragons' Front Office Resigns Amidst Organizational Shift

The New York Dragons faced a major upheaval Monday as the entire front office stepped down, confirmed by former general manager Peter Schwartz late in the evening. Schwartz, along with director of operations Sean Wachter and director of business development Marilynne Rich, submitted their resignations via email to team owner Doug Freeman.

Schwartz described the decision as a necessary move, stating it was the “right time to walk away.” This mass resignation was first reported by Newsday, highlighting a significant shift for the team.

Set to compete in the new Entertainment Football Association, the Dragons had appointed Schwartz as their inaugural general manager in January. He played a pivotal role in establishing the franchise's identity and hiring its first head coach.

Concerns about the league's direction prompted the front office's departure. Schwartz expressed his disappointment but wished success for the league, its players, and coaches moving forward. “It just became apparent in the last month, six weeks, we were just not happy with the direction the league was going in,” he explained during a phone interview. “Some internal league things we were not aligned with.”

Freeman confirmed the resignations in a separate phone interview, stating, “we have parted ways” with the original staff. He hinted at upcoming hires from a “very well-regarded organization” with a “strong sports leadership background.”

“We’ve been assessing the organizational fit [of the front office],” Freeman noted. “We’ve been assessing that for some time, and that’s why we say perhaps the organizational fit wasn’t the best.”

Expressing his sentiments about the situation, Schwartz mentioned he felt “disappointed” with how things concluded but took pride in his contributions to the organization. His history with the Dragons dates back to 2001 when he served as the radio announcer for the original team that played in the Arena Football League at Nassau Coliseum.

Schwartz fondly recalled his time with the original Dragons as “the best job of his life.” The new Dragons were set to kick off their season on June 7 against the Danbury Diesel; however, that game has since been rescheduled to July 10. The start date was later adjusted to June 14 for a matchup against the New Jersey Ciphers at Nassau Coliseum, but further changes have left their season opener uncertain as the league transitions to a new schedule format.