Atlanta United FC Announces Leadership Changes Following Garth Lagerwey’s Departure

Garth Lagerwey will not return as CEO of Atlanta United FC for the upcoming season, a spokesperson confirmed to ESPN.

Lagerwey, 52, was diagnosed with cancer in July, prompting the club to announce his leave of absence. He made a limited return later in the season but subsequently took a second leave in October to focus on his recovery.

The spokesperson mentioned that the club is actively searching for Lagerwey’s successor. This new hire will assume an expanded role that includes overseeing both Atlanta United and the newly announced NWSL expansion team, which is scheduled to begin play in 2028. The organization plans to start hiring staff for the NWSL team in 2026.

Lagerwey joined Atlanta United in 2022 after a successful tenure with both Real Salt Lake and Seattle Sounders FC. He led RSL to the 2010 MLS Cup while operating on a limited budget, and they were also runners-up in the 2012 Concacaf Champions League. After joining the Sounders in late 2014, he played a pivotal role in securing two MLS Cup titles in 2016 and 2019, as well as the Concacaf Champions League in 2022.

The expectation was that Lagerwey’s leadership would usher in a new era for Atlanta, which had begun to drift from its initial successes, including winning the 2018 MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup the following year. However, his tenure did not halt the team’s decline. Although the Five Stripes experienced a brief resurgence in 2023 with a notable playoff upset against Supporters’ Shield winners Inter Miami, their overall performance suffered, leading to a disappointing 14th place finish in the Eastern Conference, 25 points behind Orlando City for the final playoff spot.

This downturn occurred despite Atlanta being one of the league’s highest spenders, ranking third in the MLS Players Association’s recent salary report with expenditures of $28.48 million.

The front office retains considerable expertise, with Chief Soccer Officer Chris Henderson, who was hired in December of last year, set to lead roster-building efforts alongside new manager Gerardo Martino. On the business side, the club is managed by Sarah Kate Noftsinger and Dimitrios Efstathiou.