Credit: Atlanta City FC
Atlanta City FC’s leadership team is coming to fruition.
The National Women’s Soccer League expansion side has appointed Richard Gunney as its chief football officer, the club announced on Monday.
Gunney comes to Atlanta from NWSL champion Gotham FC, where he has served as director of scouting and recruiting since 2022.
This isn’t the first time he’s helped shepherd the expansion club. Wellsley was an assistant coach for the San Diego Wave during their inaugural 2021-2022 season. He previously served as an assistant coach for the Portland Thorns from 2017-2021.
“As an expansion club, we have a unique chance to create a lasting identity, a high-performance culture and a clear football philosophy from day one,” Gunney said in a press release.
According to the release, Gunney’s role includes “short, medium and long-term football strategies that ensure alignment between performance goals, player development and roster planning.”
He will perform his new position from November 1, reporting to Atlanta City FC President Mauricio Culebro.
“With ten years of NWSL experience in coaching, scouting, player recruitment and development, Richard is uniquely positioned to take on this role and develop a championship-caliber club for Atlanta,” said Culebro.
Atlanta City FC is set to debut in 2028 with an expansion side in Columbus that named Lucy Rushton as its first general manager on Friday. Like Gunney, Rushton helped build the expansion team when he served as Bay FC’s first general manager in 2023-24.
Atlanta and Columbus are set to become the NWSL’s 17th and 18th clubs, respectively. NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said on October 9 that she intends to expand the league to 20 teams.
Gunney’s appointment comes less than a month after Atlanta City FC unveiled its name, crest and team colors.
“We have high expectations for this club,” said Deandra Duggans, the team’s chief business officer. “We want to make sure we’re moving the league forward, joining a group of already great teams and really trying to elevate women’s soccer in America. That’s our goal.”
