Manager vs Coach/GM combo

[olegunnar]

Are we the only team in the league that has 2 people managing? I think we are. Granted I just did a quick wiki search.

What are the benefits of this set up (not including extra job security for Mo since the knee jerk reaction is always...Blame the coach!).

Why hasn't the rest of the league tried to mimic our set up? Or are we just trailblazers and they'll follow suit after they begin to envy our successes?

If you were the Assman....would you hire two people for the one job, like he did, or would you stick to the more traditional approach and hire one manager?

I think that one manager is enough if he/she (don't want to be sexist!) is good enough at their jobs. More than one and all that's accomplished is a spreading out of the blame when the team sucks.

[Yohan]

i think it's other way around. seems most teams have a GM/coach combo

only team I can think off my head that has both Gm/coach as one guy is Bruce Arena at LAG

[olegunnar]

i think it's other way around. seems most teams have a GM/coach combo

only team I can think off my head that has both Gm/coach as one guy is Bruce Arena at LAG

I think you're confusing the business General Manager with the Manager

For example in Houston, it's Kinnear that runs the soccer operations. Oliver Luck is the business guy.

Craig Tornberg is the "General Manager" of NER, but he's also the Vice President of Business Development
Nicol runs the on field ops.

I could do this for every team...but I have to get back to work.

[olegunnar]

Wait!!!

I found one.
NYRB, have Jeff Agoos. Now there's a team we should be happy to have something in common with.

[Beach_Red]

I think you're confusing the business General Manager with the Manager

For example in Houston, it's Kinnear that runs the soccer operations. Oliver Luck is the business guy.

Craig Tornberg is the "General Manager" of NER, but he's also the Vice President of Business Development
Nicol runs the on field ops.

I could do this for every team...but I have to get back to work.


Isn't that what we have here? Mo is the business guy - working with MLS's weird contract rules, allocation money and all that and Cummins runs the field ops? Carver certainly ran the team and as he said himself, targeted the players that Mo then tried to sign. Players trialled for Caarver and he made the decision to offer them a job or not. Isn't Mo also the vice president?

People here seem to think Mo is doing something guys like Tornberg aren't, but is there any evidence of that? The biggest problem is he hired a first-time coach, but he does still call him 'interim,' so maybe there are all kinds of negotiations going on that can't be revealed because of tampering rules???

[olegunnar]

Isn't that what we have here? Mo is the business guy - working with MLS's weird contract rules, allocation money and all that and Cummins runs the field ops? Carver certainly ran the team and as he said himself, targeted the players that Mo then tried to sign. Players trialled for Caarver and he made the decision to offer them a job or not. Isn't Mo also the vice president?

People here seem to think Mo is doing something guys like Tornberg aren't, but is there any evidence of that? The biggest problem is he hired a first-time coach, but he does still call him 'interim,' so maybe there are all kinds of negotiations going on that can't be revealed because of tampering rules???

Paul Beirne, (born in April, 1966) is a Canadian sports executive. He is currently the Director, Business Operations for Toronto FC, a position which shares the general manager role with head coach Mo Johnston.[1]

[Beach_Red]

Paul Beirne, (born in April, 1966) is a Canadian sports executive. He is currently the Director, Business Operations for Toronto FC, a position which shares the general manager role with head coach Mo Johnston.[1]


How old is that quote?

[olegunnar]

How old is that quote?

It's from wiki.

Sarcasm aside. I truly believe forcing a north american sports management org chart on this team, in this sport is counter productive and is in fact the root of all our problems.

Who is in charge of what?
Who is responsible for what?
Is it the structure that puts people in the best situation to succeed?

In my opinion we desparately need someone to come in and put their stamp on this team. Impose their style and go out and get players that fit that style and identity.

We have never had an identity. Unless you count boot and chase as a style.

The signings/trades have been random and reactionary, and seem as if it's some game of trophy manager (sign the highest rated guy) rather than the guy that fits your needs.

We need one boss especially considering the guy signing people brings in strong personalities like Guevara and Dero. I don't trust Mo and I don't envy Cummins for having to manage these players and wonder if Mo will back him up, or undercut him.

In my opinion we have 3 guys doing 2 jobs (business ops and on field ops). The extra muddling of responsibilities clouds the direction of the team, is holding us back and is the first thing I'd change. Keep it simple.

[Beach_Red]

I agree. Groups take on the personality of their leaders and in order to do that the leader must be clearly in charge.

Unfortunately, that's not the way MLSE works. It's possble that a guy like Brian Burke can actually put his personal stamp on a team under this structure, time will tell.

Also, this league and it's weird rules make it difficult. I think what you'll see is the position that Mo has now (and whoever gets it next) will become less and less the face of the team and more like that of Tornberg. It was already happening with Carver and likely the plan was for that to continue. Maybe Carver had trouble with it because it was a work in progress - MLSE is tough to deal with and an expansion team would be something he had no frame of reference for.

Cummins is still referred to as "interim," for a reason. Either he's going to step up and make it his team, or the next coach will. the model you propose is most likely the one that everyone involved wants, it's just a matter of how to get to it from scratch.