Will Kuntz named LA Galaxy General Manager
Kuntz is now at the top of the LA Galaxy's soccer operations
Edit: This post has been edited as the LA Galaxy have officially announced Kuntz as GM
Will Kuntz has been named LA Galaxy General Manager by Dan Beckerman, President and CEO of AEG, who Kuntz will report directly to. Kuntz joined the Galaxy as Senior Vice President of Player Personnel in April earlier this year.
LA Galaxy Head Coach Greg Vanney was named the club’s sporting director earlier this year but will now report to Kuntz and will return to his primary role as Head Coach where he will continue to guide the technical vision of the club, including coaching methodology, while managing the first team staff and the sports performance department. Kuntz and Vanney will collaborate on all major soccer operations decisions for the Club. The task of roster building, salary cap budgeting, and player acquisition falls on the shoulders of Kuntz.
“I want to thank Greg for taking on so many additional responsibilities during the 2023 season and helping us navigate through a challenging year on and off the field,” said Beckerman. “This promotion will enable Greg to resume the role for which he was hired, while still guiding the technical philosophy of the club, and partnering with Will to build upon their shared vision.”
“There is no opportunity in Major League Soccer more exciting to me than the chance to help lead this club to reclaim its place as the top club in the league,” said Kuntz via press release.
“I want to thank Greg Vanney for being my strongest advocate in bringing me into the Club last winter, and I am thrilled with how our partnership has developed since I came on board. I look forward to collaborating with Greg towards achieving our shared vision and building on the foundation that has been created over the past several years. AEG’s commitment to providing this organization with everything necessary to be successful has been evident over the years and I’ve seen it firsthand during my time with the club.”
Before joining the Galaxy, Kunz spent six seasons with LAFC (2017-22) where he served as Senior Vice President of Soccer Operations and Assistant General Manager. He played a vital role in the club’s success in MLS and was key in recruiting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini to SoCal.
He’s also well versed in the MLS salary mechanism as he spent three years at Major League Soccer’s league office, serving as the Director of Player Relations., In this role, Kuntz interfaced with the league’s clubs in franchise salary budget management, the development of strategic league initiatives, and the negotiation of the 2015 MLS Collective Bargaining Agreement. He’s no stranger to how the league operates and his knowledge of the salary cap rules is a massive asset.
The Galaxy will celebrate a decade since their last championship in 2024. The club is looking to reach its previous heights and cement itself as a player in the modern version of MLS. Kuntz could be the architect for this potential comeback for the next few years.
What this means for Vanney
For Vanney, this situation works with and against him depending on how he starts 2024.
With a clear structure on the soccer side of LA’s operations, this makes Vanney’s job much easier. He no longer shoulders other responsibilities for the club and can now solely focus on the first team and returning them to the MLS Cup playoffs. Last season, Vanney dealt with sporting director duties, addressing fan boycotts, and building out a roster with a transfer ban.
Vanney’s been involved in restoring the Galaxy Academy and youth development since he joined the club. Other departments such as scouting and video analysis are more connected and given more resources to maximize their effectiveness.
With Kuntz effectively becoming the man these departments have to report to, it leaves Vanney’s plate with just working with the first team. The two will have to work together to get new players on the team.
“It’s not like there are my players or Greg’s players, it’s our players, everyone is agreed upon, we all talk about what we need, we talk about what we are looking for in terms of profile, budget. It’s a collective, collaborative decision and that is greater than just Greg and myself, it includes the technical staff, assistant coaches, sport science, high performance … our scouts, our soccer operations staff. Everyone has got a seat at the table. it will continue to be a collaborative process just like it has been in the eight months I’ve been here,” Kuntz told The Athletic.
Just this summer, Kuntz was able to aid in the club’s efforts to acquire new players within MLS and through a pool of free-agent players while their summer transfer ban was in place. This experience together is why questioning their ability to work together is out of the picture.
There is no doubt that Vanney’s seat is warm heading into next season. Winning results will be demanded more than following a campaign where the Galaxy finished in 13th place.
Another mediocre start to the season would likely result in him getting fired. This restructuring, from my point of view, looks like the perfect setup for a new coach to come in.
Read: Opinion: Greg Vanney staying for the 2024 season is a massive risk
We’ve talked about how other departments have developed and now Kuntz is the GM that understands the league's roster rules. If the Galaxy brings in a foreign coach outside of the MLS ecosystem, they will already have key departments opening optimally and a GM who can break down and explain the MLS salary cap.
Vanney understands that he needs to get results consistently as the infrastructure is much more solid than when he first got there. This is an opportunity that he can’t afford to mess up. The pressure on Vanney keeps building this offseason - as the saying goes pressure makes diamonds, and we will see what Vanney is made of in 2024.