U.S. Soccer names Earnie Stewart as the first Sporting Director

On the heels of the hiring of Kate Markgraf as the first United States Women’s National Team general manager, U.S. Soccer also announced this afternoon that current USMNT general manager Earnie Stewart has been named the first Sporting Director in U.S. Soccer history.

Stewart took the job as the USMNT’s first general manager on August 1, 2018, with his main reponsibilities including the hiring of Gregg Berhalter as USMNT coach and overseeing the entire senior and youth programs on the men’s side. As the Sporting Director, he will oversee the entirety of U.S. Soccer’s sports programs, including the USMNT, USWNT, and youth national teams. His first task will be to hire his replacement, as U.S. Soccer noted a search for a new USMNT GM will begin immediately. Stewart will also help “create a more streamlined structure, align the overall technical approach and ensure greater communication and sharing of best practices within Federation programs.” He will report to the CEO of U.S. Soccer (currently Dan Flynn until he retires sometime in the next year) and he will also be in charge of talent identification, high performance, and U.S. Soccer analytics.

No candidates were immediately known to replace Earnie Stewart as USMNT general manager, and it remains to be seen what the vision will be for both the USMNT and USWNT under this new operating structure. Hit the comments and discuss whether this move is a good one for U.S. Soccer.