Atlanta United has signed Paul McDonough to a contract extension that will run until March of 2022 and promoted him to Vice President of Soccer Operations.
“I’m thrilled we have been able to secure Paul for the foreseeable future and look forward to building upon the strong foundation we have already assembled,” Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra said. “Paul’s broad skill set and experience has been vital in helping us establish and widen our scouting network, manage and strategize player salary cap restrictions, as well as operating our state-of-the-art training facility. His knowledge of the league and the soccer landscape in America has been a key contributor to the success of Atlanta United, both on and off the field.”
McDonough was named Director of Soccer Operations for Atlanta United on Dec. 16, 2015. Along with Club President Darren Eales and Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra, McDonough has played an integral role in assembling the club’s inaugural roster that ultimately became the first expansion team to qualify for MLS Cup Playoffs since 2009. McDonough helped identify and recruit players through various different acquisition mechanisms, all while navigating Major League Soccer’s salary cap restrictions.
McDonough was also instrumental in building the club’s scouting network, creating and implementing the club’s day-to-day player operations and overseeing the development of the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground, including its design, construction and operations process.
Earlier this week, Atlanta United announced the contract extension and promotion of Carlos Bocanegra to Vice President and Technical Director. Both Bocanegra and McDonough joined the club in 2015 and have been at the forefront in preparing the club for its inaugural season.
“We’re pleased to secure Paul and Carlos to long-term contract extensions as they have been instrumental to the success of Atlanta United,” said Club President Darren Eales. “Together, they’ve done a marvelous job of assembling club personnel and have created a professional environment that has paved the way for our record-breaking inaugural season. We’re looking forward to building upon that success in all areas of our organization and know we have the right people in place to accomplish that.”
Prior to joining Atlanta, McDonough spent time with Orlando City SC, helping the club launch its inaugural season into MLS. Prior to that, McDonough spent two years as Director of Global Soccer with Wasserman Media Group where he represented professional soccer players in MLS and abroad. He began his career in collegiate coaching. serving as an assistant coach at Wake Forest University, University of South Carolina and University of Connecticut.
