Westfield grad Liipfert high on Atlanta's list of general manager candidates

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

          A few decades ago, James Liipfert was running around the football fields at Westfield.

          Soon, he might overseeing the football fields in Flowery Branch, those of the Atlanta Falcons.

          The 2004 Westfield grad and former Georgia Tech linebacker is now on the list to be interviewed Thursday by the Falcons for their general manager opening.

          Liipfert spent nine years with New England, three as a national scout before the Texans hired him as director of college scouting.

          He started with New England in 2009 as an area scout, moving up to national scout, leading Houston to hire him in 2018 to be director of college scouting.

          Houston’s head coach at the time was Bill O’Brien, who worked with Liipfert as a coordinator with the Patriots. They barely missed each other at Georgia Tech.

          Liipfert was with the Patriots when New England pulled off the epic comeback to beat Atlanta, Liipfert’s favorite NFL team until he was hired by New England out of college.

          Last summer, Liipfert was promoted to assistant general manager from his post as the executive director of player personnel after serving as assistant director of personnel/director of college scouting.

          From ESPN writer Field Yates on X Wednesday: “James Liipfert has an awesome reputation and respect within the scouting community for his evaluation skills. Really smart dude! He’s done it at both the pro and college level and played a real role in building the best defense in the NFL.”

          Liipfert was a first-team Class AAA GISA all-stater in 2002 and 2003 for Westfield, which went 20-7 in those two seasons with trips to the semifinals and finals.

          Among his teammates: Former Tattnall and Stratford head coach Chance Jones, son of legendary Hornets head coach Ronnie Jones and now the boss at Southland in Americus.