A new chain of command in Austin
Austin FC put Khaled El-Ahmad in charge of soccer operations on Tuesday. The club named him chief soccer officer and sporting director, handing him roster construction and management, scouting and recruitment, player development and the entire player pathway that runs from the Academy through Austin FC II to the first team.
El-Ahmad reports directly to chief executive Andy Loughnane. He arrives from Minnesota United, where he had worked in the front office since 2023.
The record before that stretches across two continents. He worked in MLS at the parent company of New York City FC, and he ran Barnsley in England as chief executive and sporting director.
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Precourt describes a long search
Anthony Precourt, the club’s chairman, majority owner and founder, framed the hire as the end of a process rather than an opportunistic grab.
“Throughout our search, Khaled distinguished himself through his global experience, deep understanding of Major League Soccer, and the clarity of his vision for how a modern sporting organization should operate,” Precourt said in a club release. He pointed to a “disciplined and data-informed approach to decision-making” and called El-Ahmad “the right leader to guide the next chapter of our sporting organization.”
El-Ahmad set out a brief wider than transfers. “My responsibility is bigger than building a roster,” he said. “It is to help build a sporting organization with a clear identity, strong people, aligned processes and a relentless commitment to improving every day.”
Curtin will answer to him
The appointment settles the structure above the dugout. Jim Curtin, already announced as Austin’s next head coach, will report directly to El-Ahmad once he joins the club at the end of the 2026 season.
That leaves El-Ahmad shaping a roster, an academy and a second team before the coach who will use them has even started.
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