DC United name Lucy Rushton as general manager in historic hire

D.C. United have hired Lucy Rushton as their new general manager and head of technical recruitment and analysis, the club announced Wednesday, in a landmark hire that makes her the second woman to hold the general manager position in MLS history.

Previously, Lynne Meterparel held the general manager position with the San Jose Earthquakes from 1999 to 2000.

Rushton joins D.C. from Atlanta United, where she's acted as the head of technical recruitment and analysis since 2015, joining two years before the club's MLS launch in 2017.

“Lucy’s experience at the top-levels of our sport and her ability to match talent to a certain identity and system of play through the application of performative data analysis and qualitative analysis is second to none in our league,” Jason Levien, CEO and Co-Chairman of D.C. United said in a team release. “We’re confident in her ability to lead our soccer operations teams, contribute to building exciting rosters, and drive a culture that delivers on-field success.”

Rushton will take over the post long held by Dave Kasper, who has acted as D.C's general manager since 2007 and also as the club's vice president of soccer operations since 2014. Kasper will remain with the club in an elevated role of president of soccer operations and sporting director, assuming oversight and responsibility of the club’s first team, Loudoun United and the Academy.

“Dave’s knowledge of our league and the sport globally will be integral in the evolution of our club as we enter this new era at D.C. United,” said Jason Levien CEO and Co-Chairman of D.C. United. “Dave’s leadership and experience will have us well-positioned to maximize the impact and results of the recent investments the club have made in our soccer infrastructure, particularly our new, state-of-the-art training facility and performance center in Loudoun County, where our first team, Loudoun United FC, and Academy will all train.”

Rushton represents the second historic hire for D.C. United in recent months, as the club also brought in Danita Johnson in December as president of business operations, making her the first Black man or woman to serve as an MLS team president.

Ruston became known in her time with Atlanta as one of the foremost experts in soccer analytics, which informed much of the club's successful recruiting strategies early in their MLS existence.

Before joining the Five Stripes, Rushton was the head of technical scouting for Reading and a player recruitment analyst at Watford where she created a detailed recruiting process and conducted statistical analysis of potential signings.

As a player for Reading, Rushton was an English League Championship winner during the 2011-12 season, a Championship playoff finalist in 2010-11 and an FA Cup semifinalist in 2015.