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Jeff Carlisle
Multiple Authors
Major League Soccer (MLS) has enlisted Korn Ferry to assist in the search for a new commissioner to potentially succeed Don Garber, whose contract is set to expire at the end of 2027.
Sources have confirmed to ESPN that Korn Ferry will play a key role in identifying candidates during this critical phase for MLS, especially with the World Cup scheduled for this summer in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S., which is anticipated to boost interest in the league.
Additionally, the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the MLS Players Association will end at the same time as Garber’s contract, and the league’s media rights deal with Apple will expire two years later.
MLS spokesperson Dan Courtemanche stated, “In line with the comprehensive organizational review initiated last year to assess MLS’ leadership structure, operational efficiency, and long-term governance, the Board of Governors and Commissioner Garber have engaged an executive search firm to aid in succession planning. This move represents forward-thinking long-term strategy and is consistent with the league’s evolution.”
The pending expiration of the CBA is particularly challenging given that, due to the league’s transition to a summer-spring season, it will occur midway through the 2027-28 season, marking a first under this new format.
While Garber will be 70 when his current contract concludes, he has not yet determined whether he will step down at that time or continue through the end of the 2027-28 season. Garber has been the MLS commissioner since 1999, following his tenure with the NFL.
The engagement of Korn Ferry reflects MLS’s proactive approach to succession planning; last year, the league also hired the Miles Group (TMG) to develop related strategies.
MLS is currently navigating various staff transitions as well. Long-time deputy commissioner Mark Abbott retired at the end of 2022 but remains with the league in a consulting capacity. MLS VP Gary Stevenson is set to retire at the end of August, and Chris McGowan, the previous EVP of Club Performance, departed last year and was succeeded by Charles Altchek.
Sportico was the first to report MLS’s hiring of Korn Ferry.
Recently, Garber established a Succession Committee of owners, co-chaired by Bennett Rosenthal, managing co-owner of LAFC, and Jimmy Haslam, chairman of Haslam Sports Group, which owns Columbus Crew.