Hamilton’s sudden death leaves void at Los Angeles Galaxy

Hamilton

Hamilton, president and general manager of the Los Angeles Galaxy and COO of AEG Sports, passed away March 9 after an apparent heart attack.

Hamilton, 43, suffered the attack while returning to Los Angeles from San Jose, Costa Rica, where the Galaxy had played Deportivo Saprissa of Costa Rica in the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal on March 8. He was aboard a Lacsa Airlines flight, and a team doctor attempted to resuscitate him.

In addition to on-field success that included league championships in 2002 and 2005, Hamilton was responsible for making the Galaxy the only MLS team to show a profit in the league’s 10-year history.

Whit Haskel, general manager and senior vice president of MLS’s Chivas USA, said the league uses Hamilton’s business model when promoting ownership to possible new investors.

Galaxy spokesman Patrick Donnelly said AEG, the team’s investor/operator, had not decided on a replacement but that Tom Payne, the team’s vice president of programming and business development, had temporarily assumed leadership as the club’s highest-ranking official.

Michael Roth, AEG’s vice president of communications, said nothing had been determined in regard to a replacement.