LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Racing Louisville FC has hired United States Women’s National Team manager Ryan Dell as its new general manager, the club announced Wednesday.
Dell comes to Louisville after spending more than nine years with the U.S. Soccer Federation, being a manager and administrator for the USWNT. He oversaw team operations and logistics while serving as a liaison between the team’s head coaches and general managers.
At Racing, he will lead all soccer operations for the club and report directly to the club's ownership.
“I’m so excited to be here in Louisville,” Dell said. “The potential is limitless for this club and team. There’s a foundation for Louisville to be a destination in the NWSL. Having worked with many of these players and with my previous experience in a highly professional setting, I know we will keep working hard to maintain a positive environment for our players to thrive on the field and be completely supported and cared for off it.”
Soccer Holdings, LLC chairman John Neace said Dell's prior experience with the U.S. Women’s National Team will prove invaluable to the club.
“We are excited to have Ryan join our team,” Neace said. "Throughout his steady climb up the soccer ladder, Ryan has shown a willingness to play whatever role is necessary to get to and, more importantly, remain at the top."
In Louisville, Dell's duties will include overseeing performance, player recruitment and compliance. He says he will focus on increasing communication, providing support and insight to players and staff and aiming to ensure the standards are in line with the best of professional soccer.
"The franchise is known for having elite facilities, incredible player experience, an amazing foundation and a team that has incredible potential when you look at the roster: young players and internationals that have been very successful everywhere they've played," Dell told WHAS11 in an one-on-one interview.
The 30-year-old St. Louis native started as an equipment manager in 2013 before rising as an administrator. Dell’s later work leading team operations consisted of tasks like preparing and managing the team’s budget, schedule and travel, as well as overseeing issues related to the team’s collective bargaining agreement. He also helped create better settings for success and player care.
“When hiring someone to be a leader in your organization, honesty, work ethic and the ability to interact well with a diverse group of people are all valuable qualities, and Ryan Dell personifies those qualities,” U.S. Women’s National Team coach Vlatko Andonovski said. “He cares tremendously about doing highly professional work and about the people he is working with. He has very high standards for himself and his organization, and I know he’ll be a great person to help lead Racing Louisville forward as the club and the NWSL continue to grow.”
USWNT general manager Kate Markgraf said the organization will miss having Dell as part of its national team staff, "but we'll miss him more as a person."
“He holds himself to high standards, and he could always be counted on under pressure to handle the huge workload that he took on," Markgraf said. "I know he’ll be a valuable addition to Racing, and I look forward to working with him in his new role.”
The two-time World Cup winner has worked with current Racing players in Savannah DeMelo, Jaelin Howell, Jess McDonald, Paige Monaghan and Carson Pickett from their various stints with the USWNT, whether that be playing for the actual squad or being called into camps.
Racing states he went through multiple rounds of interviews, including with Louisville’s players. Dell said he plans on following up on those conversations, meeting with every player and staff member.
“Hiring Ryan is such a huge step for our club,” said Howell, Racing’s team captain who has made five appearances for the USWNT. “No doubt he is going to help us grow into the successful organization we want to be. Anyone who has worked with Ryan not only knows how incredibly good he is at his job, but also how great of a person he is, too. We are so excited to welcome him.”
“I am so happy to have Ryan joining our club in this new role,” Racing Louisville FC head coach Kim Björkegren said. “The most important thing is he has the backing of our players. They strongly support him. We have heard so many good things about him, especially around his attention to detail and work ethic. We have something great going here, and I know he is only going to help us keep improving as a club.”
"This can be a fun team to watch in this league," Dell said. "I think this is a playoff team. And I think they'll continue to make the climb with a young roster and internationals that have been excellent. It's going to be really successful."
Racing created this general manager position in response to the release of the Yates Report in October 2022.
That report, led by former United States Attorney General Sally Yates, revealed former Racing head coach Christy Holly allegedly sexually assaulted former Racing defender Erin Simon. The club fired Holly in August 2021 for cause, but did not state why due to a non-disclosure agreement with its first head coach.
Following that report, a current Racing player, six former ones and a former staff member revealed more allegations of emotional, physical and verbal abuse against Holly and others in an exclusive WHAS11 investigation.
Then, a joint investigation between the NWSL and NWSL Players Association later confirmed those issues and led to the permanent banishment of Holly from the NWSL.
"I think the club's already taken steps forward in that the players feel safe," Dell said. "It was one of the first questions I asked them. It was a hard question, but it was something that was important to me. They feel comfortable here. And I talked to one of the young players of this group and I said, 'What do you think? You've come in here new.' And she said, 'If you hadn't told me there was an issue, I would have never known.'
"And so I think the environment that's been created here by the club, by Kim (Björkegren) and his staff, by the front office and John (Neace) has made sure that the players have the support and resources they need to have the safeguarding components."
Dell was one of the first USWNT staffers to work with players following the release of the Yates Report. He helped facilitate mental health resources and start the Safe Soccer program within the USSF to promote a safer environment for players across the country.
"It's all about how you can support the players and make sure they have a good and protected environment to be successful on the field," Dell said.
Citing the joint investigation’s recommendations, the NWSL mandated a separate sporting staff for Racing from Louisville City FC, which is also owned by Soccer Holdings, LLC. That confirmed the need for a position Racing was already searching for.
At a recent town hall meeting with season-ticket holders on March 10, Neace mentioned the club had another candidate ready to be hired in December, but that individual backed out in the final moments due to personal reasons.
Dell, according to Neace, emerged as a candidate during the club’s second search.
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