Garth Lagerwey Steps Down as CEO of Atlanta United FC

Garth Lagerwey will not return as the Chief Executive Officer of Atlanta United FC for the upcoming season, as confirmed by a club spokesperson to ESPN.

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

The spokesperson indicated that a search is currently underway for Lagerwey’s successor. This new hire will assume an expanded role that includes oversight of both Atlanta United and the recently announced NWSL expansion team, which is set 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 achieving significant success with both Real Salt Lake and Seattle Sounders FC. Under his leadership, RSL won the 2010 MLS Cup despite operating on a limited budget and reached the finals of 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 appointment would herald a new era for Atlanta United, which had started to deviate from its initial success in the league. The team had previously won the 2018 MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup in 2019.

However, Lagerwey’s tenure did not manage to reverse the team’s declining performance. Although Atlanta experienced a brief resurgence in 2023, highlighted by a notable playoff upset against Supporters’ Shield winners Inter Miami in the 2024 playoffs, the team’s overall league performance continued to decline, culminating in a disappointing 14th place finish in the Eastern Conference—25 points behind Orlando City for the final playoff spot.

This decline occurred despite Atlanta being one of the league’s top spenders; the most recent salary report from the MLS Players Association indicated that Atlanta ranked third in the league with a spending total of $28.48 million.

Despite these changes, Atlanta United retains considerable front office expertise. Chief Soccer Officer Chris Henderson, who was appointed in December of last year, is positioned to handle roster-building responsibilities alongside new manager Gerardo Martino. On the business side, the club continues to be effectively managed by Sarah Kate Noftsinger and Dimitrios Efstathiou.