Jan. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Goldman Sachs Group Inc. analyst Anthony Noto, a former West Point football player, is leaving the bank to become chief financial officer of the National Football League.

Noto, who joined Goldman in 1999, was the top-ranked analyst for research on the Internet industry by Institutional Investor magazine from 2003 to 2007 and runs the communications, media and entertainment team. The NFL's CFO role has been vacant for five years, spokesman Greg Aiello said today in an e-mail.

Noto, 39, a linebacker at the U.S. Military Academy, was an Army Ranger and received a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. The former army captain, who starts at the NFL in February to oversee finance and strategy, joins three prominent Goldman bankers who took jobs in sports.

``If the NFL was interested in pursuing public equity or private equity, he would be an interesting hire for them,'' said Randy Befumo, director of research at Baltimore-based Legg Mason Capital Management, which manages $68 billion in assets. ``I wouldn't assume this is just a punt job for him.''

The previous NFL CFO, Barbara Kaczynski, left in February 2003, Aiello said. Noto became a managing director at Goldman in 2003 and a partner the following year.

Lacrosse coach

``His extensive experience and knowledge of the media industry and his strategic organizational capabilities will make him a significant asset to the NFL and our clubs,'' NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.

Noto joined New York-based Goldman after working as an analyst at Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., covering retail. He's a native of Poughkeepsie, New York, and lives in Connecticut with his wife and five children. Noto, who likes to ski and golf, currently isn't playing football and coaches his daughters in lacrosse, Goldman spokesman Ed Canaday said.

He has a degree in mechanical engineering from the U.S. Military Academy and finished his senior year in 1990 second on the team with 68 tackles, according to team statistics.

Noto won't be the first former Goldman executive to work in professional sports: Eric Grubman, the NFL's executive vice president of finance and strategic transactions, is a former partner and managing director; Stuart L. Sternberg, a former partner, is principal owner of baseball's Tampa Bay Rays and Matt Silverman, the Rays' president, worked in Goldman's merchant banking division and strategy group.

``Well-operated''

Goldman said the companies covered by Noto will be divided among three analysts. All ratings, estimates and price targets remain the same. Ingrid Chung will assume coverage of cable and satellite companies, Goldman wrote in a report today. Chung will also cover entertainment companies on an interim basis, then Mark Wienkes, the video games and broadcasting analyst, will take over. Jennifer Watson will handle Internet stocks on an interim basis, the firm said.

``It's been a well-operated league,'' Chad Lewis, an analyst at Fitch Ratings in New York, said in an interview today. ``We think very highly of their management there and actions over the years to sign higher broadcast contracts.''

The NFL, Fitch's highest-rated sports league, gets about $3 billion a year from national TV contracts with ABC's ESPN, General Electric Co.'s NBC, CBS Corp. and News Corp.'s Fox, Lewis said.

About 120 million people watch NFL games weekly, said Lewis, who has an A+ rating on NFL's $635 million in senior unsecured notes.

``For anyone who's a football fan, working at the NFL would be a great thing,'' said Befumo, who has worked with Noto since the analyst started at Goldman Sachs.

Befumo said he will miss Noto's ability to organize conferences for investors. ``I'm a little bummed about it because he can create a good conference, which takes more than inviting a good bunch of people,'' he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Gillian Wee in New York at gwee3@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: January 16, 2008 17:14 EST