D.C. United hire Ally Mackay as General Manager & Chief Soccer Officer

D.C. United have announced the hiring of Ally Mackay as the club’s new General Manager and Chief Soccer Officer. Mackay joins the Black-and-Red after spending the previous five seasons as Nashville SC’s Assistant General Manager. At 37 years old, Mackay becomes the youngest active General Manager and Chief Soccer Officer in Major League Soccer.

Hailing from the Isle of Lewis, off the coast of Scotland, this is just the next step in an inspiring soccer career. In his role, Mackay will oversee soccer operations for D.C. United, which includes player identification, recruitment, acquisition and roster development, integration of the academy and youth pipeline to the first team, and the management and oversight of the technical staff. Mackay will lead the club’s process to identify its next head coach. Mackay will report directly to D.C. United Co-Chairmen Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan.

“Ally possesses the qualities we were looking for in the person to lead our soccer operations as we enter D.C. United’s exciting new chapter. His experience from multiple perspectives, having served both in an MLS front office and as a player agent, will be valuable as it relates to culture building and identifying, supporting and harnessing talent. He is full of energy and passion for this opportunity. We are thrilled to welcome Ally and his family to the D.C. United family.”

D.C. United Co-Chairman and CEO, Jason Levien.

Ally said upon taking the role “I’m excited and proud to take on this role and have the responsibility of leading this historic franchise forward into the next chapter. There are numerous elements that drew me to the club including the city itself, the passionate support from the fanbase, and a massive and immediate opportunity for growth on the soccer side. As I take on this role, it’s extremely motivating to reflect on the unmatched tradition and past successes of D.C. United. I have high expectations for myself and for the club and a strong belief that we can grow quickly and sustainably in the direction we and our fanbase demand. There are a lot of strong foundational elements already in place at the club that we can build on and improve and I’m eager to get started.”

Before joining the Black & Red, Mackay was previously the Assistant GM at Nashville and further back, he was a licensed player agent with Stellar Group Agency, who had players such as Gareth Bale, Jordan Pickford and Marcos Rojo.

Mackay is not someone who only has back office experience, he was a product of the Partick Thistle academy and captained the U19 team too. Mackay then joined the University of Evansville to compete in NCAA Division I soccer.

Welcome to the Black and Red Ally, myself and all the fans will hope for a long and successful tenure with you.