The United Soccer League announced on Monday that Paul McDonough has been named president and chief soccer officer.
The veteran soccer executive replaces Jake Edwards, who stepped down last month after 10 successful years with the USL, including eight as president.
McDonough has plenty of experience at the highest levels of American soccer, having previously served as chief soccer officer at the Wasserman agency, chief operating officer and sporting director at Inter Miami, and vice president of soccer operations for Atlanta United, among other roles.
He will now oversee the sprawling USL, which has three professional leagues (USL Championship, USL Super League, and USL League One), seven total leagues, 36 professional clubs, and nearly 200 pre-professional teams across the United States.
“The USL is thrilled to welcome Paul McDonough, one of the most respected and qualified soccer executives in the United States, at a pivotal moment in our evolution as the largest and fastest-growing soccer organization in the United States. His experience and knowledge of soccer in America and football abroad are unmatched as it relates to both the on-field product and the business of sports,” USL CEO Alec Papadakis said in a news release.
Unsurprisingly, that release did not mention the one rather glaring blight on McDonough’s otherwise sterling resume: his MLS suspension for league rules violations during his time with Inter Miami.
In May 2021, MLS announced that McDonough had been banned through the 2022 season after Inter Miami violated league roster and budget rules by having four designated players on its roster in 2020. The club also underreported the salary budget amounts for three players.
In addition to McDonough’s ban, Inter Miami was fined $2 million and MLS reduced the amount of allocation money the club could use for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
After the suspension, McDonough was forced to leave his position with Atlanta United, which he had joined after leaving Miami.
In March 2022, McDonough was reinstated from his ban early.
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