(April 14, 2008) – Ian Sawyers wasn’t expecting this job offer.
Yes, he and his wife, former National Team captain Julie Foudy, had recently returned from New Jersey where he had interviewed for the head coaching position with the New Jersey / New York Sky Blue Soccer WPS franchise. Before they decided whether or not to move across the country in order for Sawyers to resume his coaching career, Sky Blue Soccer President/CEO Thomas Hofstetter and COO/Finance Francesco Prandoni contacted their leading head coaching candidate with a new offer: become the organization’s general manager and head coach.
“They saw some things or heard some things in the questions I asked or some of the thoughts that I had that they solicited from me and thought it might be a good marriage,” said Sawyers regarding the addition of the GM responsibilities. “It wasn’t something that I was actually looking for, but it’s certainly nice to be regarded in those circumstances.”
Ian Sawyers will utilize his experiences as head coach of the WUSA's San Jose CyberRays in his new position as New Jersey / New York's general manager and head coach.
Upon accepting Sky Blue Soccer’s dual offer, Sawyers went straight to work. He and his assistant coach, Denise Reddy, flew to Portugal to scout players at the Algarve Cup in mid-March. After his return to the States, he traveled from his Southern California home to the team’s offices in Bedminister, N.J. for a week of meetings and to familiarize himself with the staff. Last week he attended Women’s Professional Soccer’s Board of Governors meetings in San Francisco to provide his insights on a number of policy issues.
As Sawyers settles into his pair of jobs, he is calling upon his experience as a member of the WUSA’s San Jose CyberRays to provide him with guidance. The CyberRays head coach from 2001-2003, Sawyers developed a strong working relationship with Marlene Bjornsrud, San Jose’s general manager. Bjornsrud involved her head coach in many business decisions allowing Sawyers to gain knowledge in working with a salary cap, minimizing stadium costs and activating sponsorships.
“Marlene allowed me into a lot of the business aspect of the team and allowed me to have a lot of input, which not a lot of general managers always do,” said Sawyers, who guided the CyberRays to the WUSA’s inaugural championship in 2001. “I’m richer for that experience and hopefully I can then pass it on and pick up some more experience from Thomas and Francesco, who are great business people.”
Sawyers plans to implement Bjornsrud’s philosophy on organization building within the NJ / NY WPS franchise by valuing each employee – whether a player, a member of the front office or an intern – and making all of them feel like an integral part of the team’s success.
“(I’ve) got to try and make sure the front office reflects the team and the team reflects the front office and all of us reflect the mission and philosophy of our owners and that we become really good stewards of their money,” Sawyers said.
A member of an organization that encompasses more than a WPS team, Sawyers has designs to integrate the entire operation – from the Sky Blue Soccer School for female youth players to the W-League’s Jersey Sky Blue side to the professional team. Eventually Sawyers envisions girls beginning their career with Sky Blue Soccer as youth players, advancing to its W-League team and then graduating to its WPS squad. By developing its own players, Sky Blue Soccer hopes it will not have to invest as much of its budget in buying players to fill its WPS roster.
Those aren’t Sawyers’ only long-term plans. His true ambitions are much more far-reaching and mirror the intentions of Sky Blue Soccer as a whole, which makes it much easier to begin packing boxes for his family’s cross-country move – tentatively scheduled for Fall 2008.
“The fact that it’s more than just professional soccer has meaning for us,” Sawyers said. “[Sky Blue Soccer is] trying to change people’s lives in the community and their experiences. I think that’s a really important selling point for us to accept this challenge. We want to use the professional league as a way of not only developing players but also developing people.”
Karyn Lush is a regular contributor to womensprosoccer.com and can be reached at karyn.lush@womensprosoccer.com . The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's, and not necessarily those of Women’s Professional Soccer or womensprosoccer.com.
