With the announcement that Chris Wright will be Minnesota United’s first-ever CEO, a new world of possibilities is opening up for the team as it continues to rise. Yesterday we learned a little bit more about Chris’ background. Today we’re going to find out what he’s seen from MNUFC so far and what he expects from the future.
What attracted you to this position and the opportunities at MNUFC?
Every franchise goes through stages of evolution. I am so excited for where MLS is going right now and where Minnesota United is going. I think it's a growth stock, and I think that at certain times in the history of franchises, you need a group of people — not just a leader — who come together to really take it to the next level. And when I look at the stadium, Allianz Field, and I look at the team and what Manny [Lagos] and Adrian [Heath] have done with the team and I look at the evolving business, I see it as one of the greatest opportunities that a guy who was brought up in the game could potentially have.
What have you seen from MNUFC in this first season?
I sort of scrutinize the team — it's that coaching and playing background. First of all, let's talk about Adrian. I think he is so incredibly astute in terms of formations that he has, the way he motivates players, the way he makes adjustments, substitutions, set pieces. Adrian Heath is a very, very, very good coach. I love what I am seeing from Adrian and his staff.
For this team to be able to go away to Montreal, beat a team with two DPs [designated players] who needed to win in that situation to keep their playoff hopes alive, I think that's extraordinary. Great strike by [Abu] Danladi, but a great team effort especially after the first 15 minutes of the game. That's without [Sam] Cronin, so you're losing that holding midfield player who has done yeoman's heavy lifting for this team. Without [Brent] Kallman at the back.
The way that I look at the team is that we have some really nice pieces. We have some pieces that are hungry to do really, really well in this league. Players who are willing to put forward a massive amount of energy, effort, team camaraderie and play for each other. I think we have a lot of that in many, many different places.
I think the depth is where we're lacking. I think that a lot of these players can be in MLS for a long time. I think with the depth of the roster, it shows when a Kallman and a Cronin go out and you're not quite playing with that first 11. To me, that's where it shows up. I think what we've got to do is build the depth of the roster, but I think from a directional standpoint — where Manny is trying to take this team — I think we're in really good shape.
How crucial is the MNUFC Development Academy going to be to the club’s future?
The academy is the youth backbone of the future of the team. The determination of talent, the identification of talent, is really what it's all about. Whether that's managed scouting in South America or looking for local youth players here who ultimately have the skillset and the techniques to be able to get on the squad. With Tim Carter, we're in great hands. I've known Tim for a long time. I knew him when he was at Shattuck-St. Mary’s, I worked with him in the Shattuck days. I really think our academy program is in the right hands.
Eventually the team has to grow its resources into that area. We've got a lot of things that we have to do, we've got a lot of priorities. We've got an expansion fee, we've got a stadium, we've got a roster to build, we've got marketing to be had, we've got sales to be had. But the academy is one that we've got to nurture. We've got to figure out who the best players are in this area, get them into our academy so that they develop appropriately so that ultimately they're given a shot to play in MLS in the future.
What ultimately convinced you that you were going to be a good fit for the organization?
When I was approached by the owners about whether I would be interested in taking this job, I talked to Glen Taylor, who is a big investor in Minnesota United, talked to people inside of the Pohlad family and then talked with Bill [McGuire]. And then you look at the vision for what we're going to try to accomplish here and, to a degree, the bedrock has been laid. Then I got very, very excited about that. I think I can really help with the stadium. I think I can really help with the team. I think I can really help with the business and make it a vibrant, thriving, profitable business. I think I can do that.
