In a move rumored to be in the works for weeks now, D.C. United have officially confirmed that Stewart Mairs has been promoted from Director of Soccer Strategy and Analysis to the club’s Technical Director. Mairs will replace Dane Murphy, who was named to the post last year but has “left the club to pursue other opportunities.” Murphy was linked to a move to English club Barnsley back in March, though nothing official has been announced on that front.
In his new role, Mairs will assist United GM Dave Kasper, who via club press release said “Stewart has been a valuable resource for the club with his expertise in data, and his tactical understanding of the game. He has elevated our scouting network and provided the coaching staff with information and analytics to help prepare for games. We are looking forward to his elevated role in the area of player procurement and roster construction to both Loudoun United and D.C. United.”
In the same release, Mairs said “I’m looking forward to continuing the positive work we’ve done as a club with regards to our player recruitment and roster development. I want to thank Dave Kasper and the ownership group for allowing me this opportunity and I am excited to get started.”
Previously, Mairs’ job duties included identifying and analyzing possible new additions to D.C. and Loudoun as well as advanced scouting and match preparation. He, along with Murphy, played a major part in quickly assembling Loudoun’s roster from scratch in time for their debut season in the USL Championship. Before joining United, Mairs worked as an analytics consultant for the U.S. Women’s National Team, and was involved in the USWNT’s 2015 World Cup and 2012 Olympic successes.