NEWS: New York Red Bulls Name Denis Hamlett Sporting Director. https://t.co/2pXHVUiqVR#REDTogether #RBNY pic.twitter.com/OVNLNDmwOG
— New York Red Bulls (@NewYorkRedBulls) February 28, 2017
The New York Red Bulls have announced that Denis Hamlett will succeed Ali Curtis as the team’s sporting director.
The New York Red Bulls have officially named Denis Hamlett as the club’s new sporting director. The announcement comes less than two weeks after the role was left vacant by Ali Curtis, who reached a mutual agreement to part ways with the team on February 16.The hiring comes as no surprise due to earlier reports indicating Hamlett, who was an assistant at the time, was the point person on several key personnel decisions for weeks before the teams’ official announcement. The appointment will give Hamlett control over all aspects of the Red Bulls’ sporting operations including; player acquisitions and development, scouting and the soccer operations budget.
The decision has been given a vote of confidence by many around the Red Bull organization including, Oliver Mintzlaff, the teams’ Head of Global Soccer, who said in a recent statement “We are confident that Denis has the vision to further our goal of winning MLS Cup…Denis has vast experience in Major League Soccer and an excellent understanding of our global philosophy”.
Hamlett began his MLS career as a second-round pick in the inaugural MLS Draft, appearing in 31 games for the Colorado Rapids before retiring at the end of the 1996 season.
His coaching career began in 1998 with the Chicago Fire and includes a stint as the teams’ head coach for two seasons, leading the club to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals. He also has experience working as an assistant coach with the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Montreal Impact before joining the Red Bulls in 2015 serving as top assistant to Jesse Marsch.
With the start of the 2017-2018 MLS days away, the team is now looking to put its recent dysfunction behind them and work towards MLS Cup glory. The Red Bulls play the Vancouver Whitecaps in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinals on Thursday, before starting the season in Atlanta on Sunday.
