Atlanta United narrows manager search to 6 finalists

Atlanta United will have six finalists for its managerial position, Sporting Director Chris Henderson said Wednesday.

The six will be culled from numerous candidates, which includes former Atlanta United manager Gerardo Martino, who led the club to MLS Cup in 2018. Henderson declined to divulge names of other candidates. ESPN reported Tuesday that former Portland manager Giovanni Saverese was among those interviewed.

Henderson said Rich McKay, CEO of Arthur M. Blank Sports and Entertainment, and Josh Blank, AMBSE VP, Executive Strategy, are part of the support process. Atlanta United President Garth Lagerwey, who is out on his second indefinite medical leave of absence related to cancer, is focusing on his recovery and will not be part of the process, Henderson said.

The team is searching for its sixth manager because Ronny Deila was fired following a 28-point season, the team’s worst, and the second worst among the 30 teams in MLS.

“The results haven’t been acceptable for Atlanta United,” Henderson said. “We need to focus on 2026 and what’s ahead of us. We will evaluate everything on the sporting side of the club and look at everything as we prepare for a new season and what we need to do in the offseason to prepare the team.”

Henderson declined to go into what specific characteristics he wants from the new coach because he said they are interviewing candidates and he doesn’t want to give those who are going to interview an advantage over those who have interviewed. He added that he wants someone who will take Atlanta United to a higher level in every training session and match, someone who understands the players’ strengths and weaknesses and is able to help them understand what they are supposed to do throughout each match.

Atlanta United, under Deila, typically faded as matches continued. It scored 24 goals in the second halves of its 34 matches and allowed 39.

“We’re trying to move through the process quickly,” Henderson said. “We feel really happy with the candidates that we’re talking to.”

Henderson said Jonathan Spector will remain as director of recruiting. The franchise is going to add more on-site scouts to improve its international recruiting. It is considering trying to add more people to its medical and mental development staff, as well.

The new coach and staff, which might include Deila assistant Carl Robinson who was retained by the club, will go over Atlanta United’s roster to make decisions about contract options. Several players, including Brooks Lennon, Ronald Hernandez and Jamal Thiare, have options for 2026.

Emmanuel Latte Lath, Alexey Miranchuk and Miguel Almirón are expected to remain as the team’s Designated Players. Henderson said the franchise also might take advantage of the Under-22 slots MLS allows, which would be a change from Lagerwey’s approach.

Henderson said that he feels if they can finalize the coaching staff soon, there will be enough time to put the franchise in position to improve its chances of success for next season.