S3. E7. The Business of Sport - Oguchi Onyewu

The Downtown Den Podcast

This season of the Downtown Den Podcast focuses on The Business of Sport. VSO Executive Education chair, Andy McIntyre speaks with a series of fascinating personalities who are involved in sport – either as performers, investors, or administrators – and they have some great insights to share.

In this episode Andy speaks with newly appointed Vice President of Sporting for the U.S. Soccer Federation and former U.S. international footballer Oguchi Onyewu.

The U.S. Soccer Federation has named Oguchi Onyewu, VSI CEO of a Sports Organisation graduate, as the Vice President of Sporting. Onyewu, 40, brings a wealth of experience as a player and sporting executive with over 25 years in the game.

In this newly created role, the two-time World Cup veteran will work closely with U.S. Soccer’s Sporting Director Matt Crocker in supporting all sporting initiatives within the Federation. Reporting to Crocker, Onyewu will also play a prominent role in managing relationships with clubs and leagues in the United States and across the world, along with strengthening other stakeholder relationships.

One of Onyewu's initial responsibilities will be to assist Crocker with the hiring of the next U.S. Men’s National Team head coach. With a wealth of international experience and a deep understanding of U.S. Soccer, Onyewu will be an instrumental part of the hiring process.

Onyewu will also work closely with U.S. Soccer’s Development Department to help drive increased funding for Youth and Extended National Teams. A 501(c)(3) non-profit, U.S. Soccer receives no federal government funding to manage its National Teams programs, support hundreds of thousands of coaches and referees, and impact millions of players.

"We are thrilled to welcome Oguchi Onyewu to our team at U.S. Soccer,” said Crocker. “His experience as a player and sports executive, coupled with his deep understanding of U.S. Soccer, Oguchi will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our sporting initiatives. We all look forward to working closely with him."