Steve Gutman Punts Sagaponack Home

To those who follow today’s New York Jets led by coach Todd Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan, the name Steve Gutman probably does not ring a bell. But to long-suffering fans of Gang Green—the ones who don’t have to be reminded that the last time the team won a Super Bowl, Joe Namath was getting paid for shaving off his Fu Manchu on television—the name has some immediate recognition. Mr. Gutman and his wife, Carol, are perhaps becoming former Hamptons residents, as they have just sold their home on Farm Court in Sagaponack. They received $4.6 million, which these days is just the one-year salary of a premier running back.

The 4-bedroom, 3-bath, traditional-style house, just east of Sagg Main Street, sits on 1.4 acres, has south-facing farm views and features a pool outside and a library inside. The buyer, hiding his or her identity, is listed as Farm WLWD LLC.

Mr. Gutman had begun in the Jets organization in 1977, and he became a close friend and confidant of the owner, oil heir Leon Hess. A regular practice for the two was that after every home game—in those days, the Jets played at Shea Stadium—they would head into Manhattan to have dinner at Lusardi’s on the East Side. If the Giants were playing the late game, they would request that restaurant staff update them on the action every 10 minutes.

The beginning of the end for Mr. Gutman as Jets president began when Mr. Hess sold the team in 2000 to its present owner, Robert Wood Johnson IV, for $635 million, followed by a couple of personnel moves that did not pan out. Bill Parcells, who had won two Super Bowls with the Giants, had turned the Jets into a winner during his stint as coach, then he became general manager and hired Al Groh as coach. But on December 30, 2000, Mr. Groh resigned. The following month, Mr. Parcells followed him out the door, saying, “People do not know how consuming this job is. There’s no time off. There’s no time away. You can’t get away from the job.”

In February 2001, a way was found for Mr. Gutman to get away from his job. Jay Cross was named the new president of the Jets, on the heels of Terry Bradway becoming general manager and Herm Edwards becoming head coach. Graciously, Mr. Gutman said, “The last thing I wanted was to be mired in another extensive rebuilding of management. There are things in my life I want to pay attention to.”

Apparently, one of them was living in Sagaponack. Easing his way east was the $5.1 million Mr. Gutman had received when Hess sold the Jets.