Manny Lagos, right, sharing insight with USMNT star Landon Donovan.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – NASL club Minnesota United announced that Manny Lagos will become the team’s first Sporting Director, assuming responsibility for all front office duties. Associate head coach Carl Craig will undertake coaching duties for the upcoming 2016 NASL season.
The changes in coaching and front office personnel are only two of many moves the club has made since it has been awarded MLS designation. Scheduled to join the MLS ranks for either the 2017 or 2018 season, the United is beginning to model operations more like a top tier professional club. Team representatives believe the separation of coaching and front office duties is an important step in the transition from America’s second-tier NASL to first-tier MLS.
Since his arrival in 2010, Lagos had been responsible for both head coach and front office duties. In his new role as sporting director – equivalent to a general manager title in other major sports – Lagos will be mainly responsible for player transactions, recruitment and development. Lagos did not wait to make an impression in his new role. His first move as full-time sporting director was signing forward Stefano Pinho, formerly of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, a fellow NASL competitor. Pinho netted 16 goals en route to winning this year’s NASL Golden Boot, an award given to the league’s leading goal scorer.
With Lagos’ presence now in the front office, Craig will be the new leader on the sideline. Similar to Lagos, Coach Craig has been with the club since 2010. He has held various coaching roles, including associate head coach in recent seasons. Craig is not an unproven coach. He is quite familiar with the talent on the United roster, and has played an integral role in much of the club’s on-field success. Born and raised in England, Craig has an official “A” license from the UEFA, the governing body of European soccer.
The remainder of Craig’s coaching staff will be determined in the coming weeks.
The reorganization of the club’s front office and coaching staff is a welcomed sign for the long-term success of the franchise. Coupled with plans of a new stadium in St. Paul’s Hamline-Midway neighborhood, the club is positioned to be a successful fixture in the Twin Cities market for years to come.
