Holovak Replaces Herzeg as General Manager of Oilers

Mike Holovak, who engineered the draft strategy that helped lift the Houston Oilers out of the cellar of the National Football Conference Central Division, was named the club’s general manager Thursday after the surprise resignation Wednesday of Ladd Herzeg.

Holovak, 69, who was about to move to Sarasota, Fla., to be an Oiler scout, joined the team in 1981 and most recently was an assistant to Herzeg. His previous duties included player personnel director, and he is credited with making the draft picks that helped Houston make the playoffs the last two seasons.