Ownership and Team Management
The ownership group of the club is composed of four investors. The majority owner is Hollywood producer Joe Roth, with minority owners Adrian Hanauer, former owner of the now defunct USL-1 team Seattle Sounders; Paul Allen, Microsoft co-founder and owner of the Seattle Seahawks and Portland Trail Blazers; and Drew Carey, comedian and game show host. Allen's partnership allowed for the team to share certain resources with the Seahawks. Over half of the Seahawks' full-time staff is shared with Sounders FC. The teams have merged ticket, marketing, and financial operations.
Sounders FC officially introduced Sigi Schmid as its first head coach on December 16, 2008. Schmid had previously led the Los Angeles Galaxy to an MLS Cup in 2002 and the Columbus Crew to an MLS Cup in 2008. Brian Schmetzer is the top assistant coach, and Tom Dutra is the goalkeeper coach. Retired MLS veteran defender Ezra Hendrickson joined the Sounders as an assistant coach in January 2009. Former MLS player and Everett, Washington native Chris Henderson was named technical director on January 24, 2009. Longtime Seattle Seahawks executive Gary Wright is the Senior Vice President of Business Operations.
SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily recognized Seattle Sounders FC as the Professional Sports Team of the Year in 2009 because of the team's record-setting success in attendance, as well as making the playoffs in its inaugural season. Former Seahawks and Sounders FC CEO Tod Leiweke was recognized by the Puget Sound Business Journal as the newspaper's 2009 Executive of the Year. Gary Wright was named MLS Executive of the Year in 2009. In 2012, he was named Seattle Sports Star Executive of the Year.
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