Atlanta United 2 today announced that head coach Stephen Glass will leave the club to become manager of Aberdeen FC of the Scottish Premiership.
Following a distinguished professional playing career, Glass joined Atlanta United in August 2018 as a coach for the Atlanta United Academy focusing on the U-17 squad. He was promoted to head coach of the club’s USL Championship affiliate ATL UTD 2 in January 2019. The former Scotland international then took over Atlanta United’s First Team as interim head coach on July 27, 2020 before moving back to ATL UTD 2 this past offseason. Glass’ tenure with the First Team culminated with a 1-0 win over Club America in the 2020 Concacaf Champions League.
“We can’t thank Stephen enough for his contributions to the club,” Atlanta United President Darren Eales said. “For the past three seasons, he has played a crucial role in the development of players across all levels of the club, from Academy to First Team. Stephen will undoubtedly be missed, but we are excited for his opportunity to lead the club where he made his professional debut.”
Glass played an integral role in player development for the club, helping several young players get to the First Team, including current Homegrowns George Campbell and Jackson Conway. Notably, Homegrown defender George Bello grew under Glass’ direction during the 2019 USL Championship season when he made 12 appearances. Bello had a breakout season in 2020, starting a career-high 19 of his 20 MLS appearances at left back, logging 1,648 minutes.
A Scotland native, Glass began his playing career at Aberdeen FC where he made more than 110 appearances and scored eight goals during five seasons. He moved to the English Premier League with Newcastle United in 1998-2001 and scored seven times in 42 appearances. He then spent two seasons in the English Championship with Watford before moving back to Scotland and appearing in 86 matches for Hibernian. He concluded his playing career with a stint in NASL as a member of the Carolina RailHawks in 2011. Overall, Glass made 380 professional league appearances, while also representing Scotland internationally.
