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Jeff Carlisle
Garth Lagerwey will not return as CEO of Atlanta United FC for the upcoming season, according to a club spokesperson speaking to ESPN.
Lagerwey, aged 52, was diagnosed with cancer in July, leading the club to announce his leave of absence. He made a brief return later in the season but subsequently took a second leave in October to focus on his recovery.
The spokesperson noted that the search for Lagerwey’s replacement is underway, with plans for the new hire to oversee not only Atlanta United but also the recently announced NWSL expansion team, which is set to begin play in 2028. This new team will start hiring staff around 2026.
Lagerwey joined Atlanta United in 2022 after previously leading Real Salt Lake and the Seattle Sounders FC to notable achievements. Under his leadership, RSL won the 2010 MLS Cup and finished as runners-up in the 2012 Concacaf Champions League. In late 2014, he took over the Sounders, guiding them to MLS Cup victories in 2016 and 2019, along with the Concacaf Champions League title in 2022.
The arrival of Lagerwey was seen as a potential turning point for Atlanta, which had experienced a dip in performance after its early successes, including the 2018 MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup the following year.
Unfortunately, Lagerwey was unable to reverse Atlanta’s decline. Although the Five Stripes showed brief signs of recovery in 2023 and scored a memorable playoff upset against Inter Miami in 2024, they finished the current season in 14th place in the Eastern Conference, trailing ninth-place Orlando City by 25 points for the final playoff position.
This downturn came despite Atlanta being one of the league’s highest spenders, with the latest MLS Players Association salary report ranking them third at $28.48 million.
The front office still retains experienced personnel, including chief soccer officer Chris Henderson, who was hired in December of last year, and will collaborate with new manager Gerardo Martino on roster building. On the business side, Sarah Kate Noftsinger and Dimitrios Efstathiou continue to run operations for the club.