Stewart brings more than 30 years of experience to the post as a player and a front-office executivegetty images
Union Sporting Dir Earnie Stewart has been named the first USMNT GM and will "assume the new position August 1 after moving to Chicago," according to Brian Straus of SI.com. He will "be the point man" in the USSF's search for a permanent head coach. Stewart said that he has "already presented U.S. Soccer with a list of candidates." The GM position was "created by the federation's board in December," a couple months after the USMNT was eliminated from this summer's FIFA World Cup. USSF CEO & Secretary General Dan Flynn and former USSF President Sunil Gulati previously had "almost total de facto control" of the GM search processes and appointments. Stewart will "not have full control over the governing body's entire sporting structure, instead focusing on the senior men's team and its coach, culture, logistics, style of play and player pool." The limits on the GM position's power, the "extent of which still seems somewhat theoretical, reportedly scared off some potential candidates." The GM "won't have the final say over the Olympic and junior national team coaches, for example." Stewart will "report to Flynn, and the board will give the final thumbs up or down on Stewart's coaching choice." Until now, there has been "no one at the federation responsible for keeping track of potential internationals' long-term progress and eligibility, or with establishing consistent communication protocols" (SI.com, 6/6). ESPN.com's Jeff Carlisle noted Stewart "brings more than 30 years of experience to the post as a player and a front-office executive, including his most recent stint" running the MLS front office for the club in Philly (ESPN.com, 6/6).
HIGHER CALLING: In Philadelphia, Jonathan Tannenwald notes Stewart's potential departure has been an "open secret for some time." Union Owner & Chair Jay Sugarman said, "When Earnie first interviewed with me, he said his highest aim was to really have an impact on U.S. Soccer. This is the only job I think he would ever leave us for, and he had told us up front when he came, 'There's only one job that's better than what I have here'" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 6/7).
