FC Cincinnati's search for a new general manager is already underway and like any good team president, FCC's Jeff Berding has a list of possible candidates stowed somewhere in his office desk or on his person.
No names have publicly or formally been linked to FC Cincinnati's now-vacant general manager position after FCC and Gerard Nijkamp parted ways last week, but there are plenty of qualified candidates that should arouse interest and excitement among fans and within the hall of the Mercy Health Training Center.
As Berding told The Enquirer in a Saturday interview, he's confident the club won't "have a hard time having interest from people that would love to lead FC Cincinnati."
The profile of what FC Cincinnati is looking for in its next GM has been refined in the post-Nijkamp era. And perhaps the most important component will be MLS experience.
The next GM will preside over a technical side of the organization that's running smoothly in several respects. Director of Player Development Larry Sunderland, a Berding hire, and Dan McNally, the director of soccer operations and Berding's first-ever hire, both have their respective slices of the organization humming along nicely.
A timeline for filling the position hasn't been revealed but there's every reason to think FCC will move swiftly to name a new GM so that person can begin their evaluation of the organization with time to spare during the second half of the 2021 season.
Don't be surprised if you see these names linked to the job at some point – or another general-manager job opening else as some pundits are already tossing these names around, and FC Cincinnati would be wise to gauge the interest of the names listed below.
Ally Mackay
Current club: Nashville SC
Current position/title: Assistant general manager
What to know: Mackay, a former player agent at London-based Stellar Group, knows his was around MLS as well as the big leagues of Europe. Having been on both sides of a negotiation, he knows what's required to get a deal done too. Mackay also knows a few things about MLS considering his contributions to Nashville SC's instant success in MLS. Since launching in 2020, Nashville's posted a 14-9-18 record and is chasing a second consecutive MLS Cup playoff berth. League insiders believe Mackay is ready to take the reins as a GM, and has the ambition and experience required to do so. He's forward-thinking, he's well-liked around the league and considered a good guy, and is a student of the modern MLS we know today. This might not be the biggest, most-popular name that gets tossed around by pundits but it's one you need to keep an eye on.
More:Baby pitch invader steals the show during FC Cincinnati-Orlando City match at TQL Stadium
More:FC Cincinnati President Jeff Berding: MLS experience a priority in search for new GM
More:FC Cincinnati, GM Gerard Nijkamp 'part ways' after 3-6-7 start
Will Kuntz
Current club: Los Angeles FC
Current position/title: Senior vice president of soccer operations and assistant general manager
What to know: Kuntz's name is a popular one to inject into the conversation when these types of jobs come open. His resume reveals why. Kuntz is another experienced student of modern MLS. He's been partt of one of the more successful and flashy MLS expansion efforts in league history with LAFC, which has won a Supporters Shield and notched a Concacaf Champions League runner-up finish in 2020.
Another big check in the "plus" column is Kuntz's time serving as Director of Player Relations in the league office. In that role, Kuntz would have learned the ins and out of roster mechanisms. He also contributed to the negotiation of the 2015 MLS collective bargaining agreement.
Brian Bliss
Current club: Sporting Kansas City
Current position/title: Director of Player Personnel
What to know: Bliss is another popular name to tie to the FC Cincinnati job and if the club wants to see a full trophy cabinet as proof of a candidate's ability, Bliss can offer that. In the various roles he's held around the league throughout his decorated front-office career, Bliss has won almost everything worth winning (several times over in a few cases).
Bliss is the candidate that offers the most experience and tangible bona fides. He's also very busy at Sporting Kansas City at the moment, and seems to have a good situation there. Bliss might be best known for his six years at Columbus Crew where he won the league once (2008) and the Shield twice. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more experienced candidate than Bliss if you're FC Cincinnati, but might the club want a set of younger, fresh eyes in the GM chair?
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