Wilson, who will officially take over on March 30, arrives at a turbulent time for the federationUSSF
The U.S. Soccer Federation "filled a major vacancy" by naming veteran sports exec Will Wilson CEO & Secretary General, according to Steven Goff of the WASHINGTON POST. He replaces Dan Flynn, who retired in September after 19 years at the USSF. Wilson most recently served as Wasserman Exec VP & co-Head of Football. Wilson, who will officially take over on March 30, arrives at a "turbulent time for the federation," which is in a legal battle with the USWNT and "facing myriad challenges, both on the field and behind the scenes." The USSF "touted Wilson’s 'deep understanding of labor issues,' including collective bargaining agreements, based on his experience negotiating contracts on behalf of NFL players" (WASHINGTON POST, 3/24). The AP noted Wilson, whose brother-in-law is XFL Commissioner Oliver Luck, served as MLS and Soccer United Marketing Exec VP/Int'l Business & Special Events from '08-12. He moved to Wasserman in January '12, repping his nephew, former NFLer Andrew Luck, as the agency's "first NFL client" (AP, 3/23).
SOCCER RESUME: YAHOO SPORTS' Doug McIntyre noted Wilson has an "extensive background in soccer," so he "appears to have the experience to hit the ground running." At SUM, he was "charged with managing relationships with international brands like Barcelona, Manchester United and the Mexican Football Federation and overseeing events such as the MLS All-Star game and MLS Cup." Wilson will be "tasked with quickly filling the leadership void and stabilizing the ship" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 3/23). SI.com's Grant Wahl wrote Wilson's past connection to SUM, which has a "deep business relationship with U.S. Soccer, will raise concerns from some critics who have said the federation is too close to a company that financially benefits the owners of MLS." However, that "didn’t appear to be a big concern" for the U.S. Soccer BOD, which "gave Wilson its unanimous approval in a vote on Sunday" (SI.com, 3/23).
OUT OF THE GATE: PRO SOCCER USA's Julia Poe noted with the Tokyo Games "potentially being postponed for a year, Wilson will be challenged from the onset of his tenure as CEO" (PROSOCCERUSA.com, 3/23). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Rachel Bachman writes Wilson is a "sports-business veteran, speaks fluent Spanish and carries a pedigree that is increasingly familiar" to U.S. Olympic power brokers. He takes over at a "time of turmoil for one of the most prominent federations under the American Olympic umbrella." The USSF is "trying to rebuild" a USMNT that failed to qualify for the '18 FIFA World Cup and "repair its relationships after a controversial defense strategy" in the USWNT pay-discrimination suit (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 3/24). In L.A., Kevin Baxter notes the U.S., along with Mexico and Canada, will play host to the '26 World Cup, giving Wilson "little time to get things right." Wilson said, "I have always admired the federation from afar and have long felt that the U.S. Soccer crest is one of the best brands in the business. There is nothing like harnessing our nation’s support behind our women’s and men’s national team" (L.A. TIMES, 3/24).
