Jeff Novitzky
{{Short description|American government agent}}
{{redirect|Nowitzky|others with the surname|Novitsky}}{{Infobox person
| name = Jeff Novitzky
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1967|12|15}}
| alma_mater = {{ubl|University of Arizona|Skyline College|San Jose State University}}
| occupation = Current Senior Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance for the UFC
| known_for = Senior Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance for the UFC
}}
Jeff Novitzky (born December 15, 1967) is the current Senior Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance for the UFC, the world's largest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion. He previously served as a special agent for the Food and Drug Administration, investigating the use of steroids in professional sports. Before April 2008 he was a special agent for the Internal Revenue Service who investigated the use of steroids for over five years.[http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?articleid=339361 Watching athletes go cold turkey] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527124007/http://mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?articleid=339361 |date=2012-05-27 }} M & G Novitzky's work has been credited with "changing the face of sports."{{Cite web|last=October 2010|first=Daniel Friebe 28|title=Lance Armstrong's new nemesis: Federal agent Jeff Novitzky?|url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/lance-armstrongs-new-nemesis-federal-agent-jeff-novitzky/|access-date=2021-01-31|website=cyclingnews.com|date=28 October 2010 |language=en}}
Early life and education
Novitzky grew up in Burlingame, California and graduated from Mills High School in Millbrae, California, in 1986.{{Cite web|url=http://mhsvikings.olinesports.com/announcements.php?sport=580|title=Mills High School|website=mhsvikings.olinesports.com|access-date=2016-09-09}} While at Mills High School, Novitzky high jumped seven feet, still the only high school athlete in San Mateo County history to achieve the seven-foot mark. Novitzky was the Peninsula Athletic League's (PAL's) Most Valuable Player in boys basketball in 1986. After graduating from Mills High School, Novitzky enrolled at the University of Arizona on a track and field scholarship,{{citation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AtXm74CbIJoC&q=%22jeff+novitzky%22+arizona+track&pg=PT194|title=Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO, and the Steroids Scandal that Rocked Professional Sports|author1=Fainaru-Wada, Mark |author2=Williams, Lance|publisher=Penguin|year=2006|isbn=110121676X}} before transferring to Skyline College to continue his basketball career. Novitzky played two seasons of basketball at Skyline but just one game in his second season due to injuries. In 1989, Novitzky transferred to San Jose State University on a basketball scholarship. For the San Jose State Spartans, Novitzky played two games as a reserve forward in the 1989–90 season, Stan Morrison's first as head coach.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/san-jose-state/1990.html |title=1990 San Jose State Spartans |website=College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com |access-date=2016-09-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924202255/http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/san-jose-state/1990.html |archive-date=2016-09-24 }} Again, injuries limited Novitzky's playing time to those two games. Novitzky graduated from San Jose State in 1992 with a degree in accounting.{{cite web|url=http://www.outsideonline.com/1896686/big-fish|title=Big Fish|work=Outside Magazine|date=September 30, 2010|accessdate=June 2, 2016}}
Investigations
Novitzky first gained public notoriety during his role as a federal agent for the IRS. In a 2002 investigation which came to be known as the BALCO scandal, Novitzky was the lead investigative special agent for a raid on a San Francisco Bay Area laboratory co-operative that was supplying banned substances to dozens of elite professional athletes. The investigation is recognized as the world's most well known performance enhancing drug scandal in sports history.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2013-10-31 |title=BALCO Fast Facts |url=https://www.cnn.com/2013/10/31/us/balco-fast-facts/index.html |access-date=2021-01-31 |website=CNN Digital |language=en}} The resulting fallout implicated many well-known athletes in cheating at various high level competitions including Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Olympic Games. Notable athletes involved included Marion Jones, Tim Montgomery, Barry Bonds, Bill Romanowski, and Jason Giambi.{{cite news |last1=Peter |first1=Josh |title=BALCO figures offer how to rid sports of doping 15 years after scandal |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2018/09/03/balco-doping-peds-five-steps-rid-sports/1182307002/ |accessdate=25 December 2018 |work=USA Today |date=3 September 2018}}{{cite news |last1=Peter |first1=Josh |title=Jeff Novitzky opens up on Barry Bonds, BALCO investigation |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ufc/2015/10/14/jeff-novitzky-barry-bonds-balco-investgation/73738052/ |accessdate=25 December 2018 |work=USA Today |date=14 October 2015}}{{cite news |last1=Peter |first1=Josh |title=Jeff Novitzky, responsible for BALCO bust, aims to clean up UFC |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ufc/2015/10/14/jeff-novitzky-ufc-anti-doping-program-balco-barry-bonds/73737912/ |accessdate=25 December 2018 |work=USA Today |date=14 October 2015}}{{cite news |last1=Pessah |first1=Jon |title=Over the Line? Critics Conflicted on Steroids Crusader |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/LegalCenter/story?id=6968609&page=1 |accessdate=25 December 2018 |work=ABC News |date=1 March 2009}}{{cite news |last1=Maese |first1=Rick |title=He busted Marion Jones and Lance Armstrong; now top steroid cop works for UFC |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/boxing/why-americas-former-top-steroid-cop-is-working-for-ufc/2016/05/02/5288b32e-106e-11e6-8967-7ac733c56f12_story.html?noredirect=on |accessdate=25 December 2018 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=2 May 2016}}{{cite news| url=http://articles.nydailynews.com/2008-04-21/sports/17896003_1_gregory-emerson-jeff-novitzky-jose-canseco | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130208144702/http://articles.nydailynews.com/2008-04-21/sports/17896003_1_gregory-emerson-jeff-novitzky-jose-canseco | url-status=dead | archive-date=February 8, 2013 | title=Jose Canseco to spill juice to Jeff Novitzky and feds | location=New York | work=Daily News}}
Novitzky was the lead special agent on the federal perjury trial of Barry Bonds. The trial detailed the extensive history of Bonds' athletic performance enhancing drug use during his quest for the two most hallowed records in American professional sports, the single season and all-time home run marks.{{cite web | url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ufc/2015/10/14/jeff-novitzky-barry-bonds-balco-investgation/73738052/ | title=Jeff Novitzky opens up on Barry Bonds, BALCO investigation | website=USA Today }}
On May 20, 2010, the New York Daily News reported that Novitzky was involved in an investigation into performance enhancing drug use on Lance Armstrong's Tour de France teams, and that Armstrong's former teammate Floyd Landis was cooperating with the investigation.{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2010/05/19/2010-05-19_floyd_landis_says_lance_armstrong_others_were_involved_in_blood_doping_during_to.html|title=Floyd Landis outlines elaborate doping system in letters, details Lance Armstrong's alleged role| publisher=The New York Daily News| date=2010-05-20 | accessdate=2010-05-20 | first=Nathaniel | last=Vinton}} In a December 2018 UFC press conference, Novitzky referred to Armstrong as "one of the biggest frauds and cheats in professional sport history." {{Cite web|date=2018-12-29|title=UFC's Jeff Novitzky responds to Lance Armstrong, calls him 'the biggest fraud in sports'|url=https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2018/12/ufc-jeff-novitzky-responds-lance-armstrong-biggest-fraud-sports|access-date=2021-01-30|website=MMA Junkie|language=en-US}} Previously, Marion Jones, a track and field Olympian winner, pleaded guilty in October 2007 to making false statements to Novitzky.
The bulk of the names provided in the Mitchell Report about doping in Major League Baseball were provided by Radomski and Brian MacNamee, a personal trainer for MLB pitcher Roger Clemens, both of whom Novitzky persuaded to talk to Senator Mitchell and his staff.{{cite news |last1=Schmidt |first1=Michael S. |title=Jeff Novitzky |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/30/sports/baseball/30novitzky.html |accessdate=25 December 2018 |work=The New York Times |date=30 December 2007}}
In his book The Secret Race, former professional cyclist Tyler Hamilton wrote that Novitzky drove a "bulldozer" through the sport of cycling in uncovering details about the pervasive use of performance enhancing drugs.{{cite news| url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/tyler-hamilton-exposes-cult-back-alley-phlebotomy-helped-lance-armstrong-millions-new-memoir-secret-race-article-1.1157153?pgno=2 | title=Tyler Hamilton exposes cult of back-alley tactic that helped Lance Armstrong make millions in new book 'The Secret Race' | location=New York | work=Daily News}}
Novitzky has been compared to famed U.S. Treasury Department investigator Eliot Ness.{{Cite web|title=UFC hires "Eliot Ness" of anti-doping to lead new drug testing program|url=https://www.foxsports.com/stories/ufc/ufc-hires-eliot-ness-of-anti-doping-to-lead-new-drug-testing-program|access-date=2021-01-30|website=FOX Sports|language=en-US}}
Starting in April 2015, Novitzky began working for the UFC as their Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance. Within this role at the UFC, Novitzky oversees all anti-doping efforts, as well as other athlete related health and performance initiatives within the organization. The UFC's program is widely recognized as the most comprehensive anti-doping program in professional sports.{{Cite web|title=Novitzky details UFC efforts in anti-doping {{!}} UFC|url=https://ru.ufc.com/news/novitzky-details-ufc-efforts-anti-doping|access-date=2021-01-31|website=ru.ufc.com|date=14 September 2018 |language=ru}}{{Cite news |date=2023-04-25 |title=Jeff Novitzky: From taking down Lance Armstrong to cleaning up the UFC |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/mixed-martial-arts/63567986 |access-date=2024-07-26 |work=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}} In both 2016 and 2019, Novitzky was nominated for the category "Leading Man" at the World MMA Awards, awarded to the leading industry executive.{{Cite web|last=Tucker|first=Bryan|date=2019-07-03|title=World MMA Awards 2019 Results|url=https://www.mmafighting.com/2019/7/3/20681393/world-mma-awards-2019-results|access-date=2021-01-31|website=MMA Fighting|language=en}} In July 2019, Novitzky was promoted by the UFC to Senior Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance.{{Cite web|date=2019-07-09|title=Jeff Novitzky promoted to UFC senior VP of athlete health and performance|url=https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2019/07/jeff-novitzky-promoted-to-ufc-senior-vp-of-athlete-health-and-performance|access-date=2021-01-30|website=MMA Junkie|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.ufc.com/news/Anti-Doping-Expert-Jeff-Novitzky-Joins-UFC-Vice-President|title=Anti-Doping Expert Jeff Novitzky Joins UFC as Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance|access-date=2016-09-09}}
Criticism
Novitzky has been criticized by certain defendants in steroid-related cases as being biased and unfair.{{cite news| title = A Harvest of Trash and Turmoil for an Agent Fighting Steroids| newspaper = New York Times| date = November 8, 2007| url = https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/sports/baseball/18agent.html?ei=5087&em=&en=2fc4b0dba38ef908&ex=1195707600&pagewanted=all| accessdate = 2007-02-10 | first1=Duff | last1=Wilson | first2=Michael S. | last2=Schmidt}} Novitzky, in multiple cross examinations, including during the federal perjury investigation of Roger Clemens, has been a credible government witness.{{cite news| url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/i-team/roger-clemens-defense-lawyer-rusty-hardin-squares-federal-investigator-jeff-novitzky-stand-perjury-trial-article-1.1072447 | title=Roger Clemens' defense lawyer Rusty Hardin squares off with federal investigator Jeff Novitzky on the stand at perjury trial | location=New York | work=Daily News}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.ktvu.com/photo/news/crime-law/jeff-novitzky/pSkD7/ |title=Jeff Novitzky | www.ktvu.com |access-date=2012-09-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201162503/http://www.ktvu.com/photo/news/crime-law/jeff-novitzky/pSkD7/ |archive-date=2014-02-01 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Breen-What-Exactly-is-Jeff-Novitzkys-Deal-With-Jon-Jones-130849|title=Breen: What Exactly is Jeff Novitzky's Deal With Jon Jones?|last=Sherdog.com|website=Sherdog}}
''The Joe Rogan Experience''
Novitzky has appeared as a guest on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast on three separate occasions. It was Brendan Schaub who coined Novitzky's nickname, "The Golden Snitch."{{Cite web|title=JRE MMA Show #53 with Jeff Novitzky|url=https://www.jrepodcast.com/episode/jre-mma-show-53-with-jeff-novitzky/|access-date=2021-01-30|website=JRE Podcast|date=27 December 2018 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=JRE MMA Show #9 with Jeff Novitzky|url=https://www.jrepodcast.com/episode/jre-mma-show-9-with-jeff-novitzky/|access-date=2021-01-30|website=JRE Podcast|date=3 January 2018 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=Joe Rogan Experience #685 - Jeff Novitzky|url=https://www.jrepodcast.com/episode/joe-rogan-experience-685-jeff-novitzky/|access-date=2021-01-30|website=JRE Podcast|date=19 August 2015 |language=en-US}}
''Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson''
In 2019, Novitzky appeared as a guest on Mike Tyson's podcast Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson.{{Cite web|date=2020-11-08|title="He's Not a Golden Snitch" - Mike Tyson Defends UFC's Jeff Novitzky|url=https://www.essentiallysports.com/boxing-news-hes-not-a-golden-snitch-mike-tyson-defends-ufcs-jeff-novitzky/|access-date=2021-01-31|website=EssentiallySports|language=en-US}} Tyson hailed Novitzky for his contribution to keeping the combat sports community clean. In reference to Novitzky's nickname, "The Golden Snitch", Tyson stated "No, that's not a golden snitch. He is a discoverer of people that are doing devilish and wicked things. People that are hurting people physically."
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{imdbname|9082750}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Novitzky, Jeff}}
Category:Drugs in sport in the United States
Category:Internal Revenue Service people
Category:Food and Drug Administration people
Category:University of Arizona alumni