By TOM CANAVAN
AP Sports Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - The New York Giants have hired former Carolina Panthers executive Dave Gettleman as their general manager.

The Giants (2-13) announced the hiring of the 66-year-old Gettleman on Thursday and planned to introduce him at a news conference Friday.

Gettleman has a history with the Giants. He spent 15 seasons with the franchise before becoming Carolina's general manager from 2013-2016, a span in which the Panthers played in the Super Bowl after the 2015 season. He was fired after the following season when Carolina missed the playoffs.

Gettleman will be the Giants' fourth general manager since 1979, following George Young, Ernie Accorsi and Jerry Reese, who held the job for 11 seasons before he was dismissed on Dec. 4 along with coach Ben McAdoo.

"Given where we are as a team, we thought it was important to bring in someone with experience as a general manager and a proven track record," co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch said in a statement. "Dave's experience is unparalleled. He did an outstanding job as general manager in Carolina, and he was vital to our success during his tenure here. Dave is going to bring his own approach to our organization in how we draft and acquire players through free agency."

Gettleman's first job will be to hire a coach. Interim coach and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who replaced McAdoo, has been promised an interview.

It would not be surprising for him to interview Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, whose unit has played a big part in helping Carolina (11-4) fight for the NFC South title with New Orleans heading into the final week of the regular season.

The Giants interviewed four men for the job: interim general manager Kevin Abrams, the assistant G.M. for 16 years; Giants vice president of player evaluation Marc Ross; and former NFL personnel executive and current ESPN analyst Louis Riddick.

Gettleman interviewed on Dec. 20 with Mara, Tisch and former general manager Ernie Accorsi, who consulted in the hiring process.

Gettleman originally joined the Giants in the spring of 1998 as then-pro personnel director Tim Rooney's assistant. He was promoted to pro personnel director the following year upon Rooney's retirement. Gettleman stayed in the position 13 years, traveling to scout the Giants' upcoming opponents and gathering information on every NFL player. He became the team's senior pro personnel analyst in 2012 and went to the Panthers the following season.

In his four seasons, Carolina was 40-23-1 and won three consecutive NFC South titles. In 2015, Gettleman was chosen The Sporting News' NFL Executive of the Year after the Panthers finished an NFL-best 15-1 record and advanced to Super Bowl 50.

Gettleman has been a part of seven Super Bowl teams, including three winners. He was with Buffalo in 1990 and 1991; Denver in 1997; the Giants in 2000, 2007 and 2011; and the Panthers in 2015. The Broncos and the 2007 and 2011 Giants won the championship. Gettleman has been associated with 16 playoff teams in his 30-year NFL career.

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AP Sports Writer Steve Reed contributed.