Revolution Management Restructured
by Steve Stoehr on Nov 9, 2011 11:04 AM EST
in Revolution News
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PrintThe New England Revolution announced this morning that they have re-organized their management structure in an effort to facilitate an upswing in club fortunes after two dismal seasons. Basically, it looks as though the Revs have heard some of the criticisms levied at them about the opacity of their front office chain of command - or at least they came to realize on their own that it's muddy, confusing, and ineffectual. Thus, the following moves were made:
Brian Bilello has been promoted from COO to the President of the New England Revolution. This puts him as the man at the top, overseeing all aspects of Revolution business activities and soccer operations. It also means he's solely concerned with the Revolution now - he has surrendered all leadership roles pertaining to the rest of Kraft Sports Group.
That's a move I'm a fan of, and not just because I think Bilello is a good guy. In conversations with him, I get the sense that there's a passion behind him and a frustration with the status quo within the organization. I didn't like what I heard about his handling of Fortgate, to be sure, but otherwise I think he's been a pretty good COO and giving him the freedom and authority to take a greater hand in things is a quality decision. Plus, he'll be a much more visible figurehead for the organization than they've had in some time, considering that he essentially succeeds Sunil Gulati, who is also at the top of USSF and a Columbia law professor.
Mike Burns has also been promoted to General Manager. According to the press release, "Burns will now lead all aspects of the club's soccer operations, which includes coaching staff and player acquisitions." As I have said before, Burns never had this level of authority in the organization. Now we will get to see the type of FO executive he really is, for better or for worse. I still think he needs extensive PR training, but that's not at issue here.
The only other person who seems to be affected by this is Sunil Gulati, who will apparently be retained as a special adviser to the Kraft Group and Kraft family. I'm not sure exactly what that means, but I am betting that very little about what he does is going to change, since he was mostly invisible to begin with anyway.
All we're really missing now is a technical director (optional, really) and a head coach, and the Revolution will actually start looking like a real team! In terms of structure, anyway. I'm hoping to join a 12:30 conference call with Bilello to go over all the changes, so I might have more on this later on tonight.
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So what has really changed?
I do not have the org chart or before and after but it seems to me that all we had is a game of musical chair with the same actors.
Bilello moves from COO to President. I have never had contact with him. All I know about him is how he behaved after Fortgate and he came in my eyes as someone that cares more about keeping the failed MLS 1.0 model rather than moving forward towards a MLS 3.0 model. I do not have enough details on his involvements on some of the most nasty moves toward the fans that the Revs have done this year (e.g. Fortgate, not using Special Event A for the Man U or the Spain game, etc) so I am holding judgement. But honestly, I do not expect anything really different or positive. His behavior after Fortgate was the one of a Yes Man and I am not sure that it is what the Revs need.
Regarding Burns, he has lost the shield of “I was not responsible for the signature of failed players or not signing good players” because now his role is clarified. I have stated in other comments that I expect that nothing will change in the way or the quality of players drafted and signed but at least, after another failed year, the Burns defenders will have no place to hide.
The only positive is the fact that Gulati is now less involved. I never understood why the Kraft felt he has such a soccer inside knowledge. I felt that given the way the USSF worked under him, that it was clear he was terrible as understand how to run a program.
So to use a Patriots analogy, this move to me is like signing Haynesworth. There is big upside given where we are but I fully expect that it will result in a disaster. I sincerely hope I am wrong but I really doubt it.
Go Revs!
I was wondering when you'd get here
Bilello’s a good guy. I mean, he could prove me wrong, but he’s a pretty genuine fan who has the team’s interests at heart. Now that he’s exclusively working with the Revs instead of Kraft Sports on a whole, I think we’re in for some interesting developments. Granted, I didn’t like his handling of Fortgate either, but that’s one blip on a decent resume so far.
In Burns, you’re exactly right. If he’s bad, he can’t hide anymore. Now we know PRECISELY what he does. A lot of that will be morphed to fit the new head coach, too, but people can’t talk about the “tight circle” that handled player scouting and acquisitions, or say that Stevie makes all the decisions anymore. Burns handles all the technical stuff, including player and staff acquisitions. No more confusion.
Founder and Editor of The Bent Musket on SBNation.
Twitter: @Stoehrst or @TheBentMusket
Nice to know!
Steve,
my take on the situation, after sleeping on it, is that there is potential upside because this is the worst or second worst team in the league. The Krafts made a reorg and clarified an opaque org chart, which is what we (the fans) wanted all along.
Now the issue is that the actors are the same so expecting a different result might be insanity (see the famous definition of it by Einstein). So I am still very skeptical that the non-soccer things which drive me crazy will not be there next year.
For example, do you believe that the stadium will be more lively when Bilello openly sided with the MLS 1.0 model? Do you believe they will not put football line on the field when the men in tights play the following day (rather than wait until the Revs game is over)?
Regarding the team, it is too short on talent to do any better and I have given up on talent recognition until the FO buys into the concept of scouting. At best, we will get the same team as last year but with even older stars (Shalrie, Matt Reis) and no one ready to step up unless Feilharber decides that he WANTS to be here.
The one positive I see if that if the team is successful, it will show how terrible Sulati is at his job. The only reason Sulati is on the payroll is to allow the Krafts to get the marquee US game (eg Spain) and thus fill in the Krafts pockets with more $.
I am willing to give the new org a chance (do I have a choice? I am one of these morons who renewed his tickets) but I do not expect any thing really different.
I think this is the FO best advantage because the expectations are so low that any hint of progress will be welcomed.
I am really hoping that the new org proves me wrong. We will see it fast with the protected list for the Montreal draft and who they pick for coach.
Go Revs.
PS: Thanks Steve for still caring and maintening this blog even if the team did every thing last season to discourage the fans.
It was tough sometimes
I’m a fan, too, and there were more than a few moments where I didn’t even want to go or write up a recap, let alone put out any other content. Thanks for the recognition, I appreciate it.
Founder and Editor of The Bent Musket on SBNation.
Twitter: @Stoehrst or @TheBentMusket
by Steve Stoehr on Nov 10, 2011 3:13 PM EST up reply actions
Nothing has changed.
Restructuring should have started with getting rid of Burns.
This is just a PR move. Screw this franchise.
My Twitter @totheights
I'm willing to give it another season
If results don’t change, clean house. But understand, the stuff that Burns and Bilello (especially Burns) will be doing now is not what they were doing before. Honestly, Stevie was GM/Head Coach/Technical Director rolled into one, with Burns just there to sign dotted lines and structure the academy.
Founder and Editor of The Bent Musket on SBNation.
Twitter: @Stoehrst or @TheBentMusket
by Steve Stoehr on Nov 10, 2011 3:14 PM EST up reply actions
So...
The positions of COO and VP of Player Personnel are gone?
Since we’re all discussing it:
I too get the sense Bilello cares. Only in his first few days as president he’s making honest efforts to inform the fans about his, Mike’s and the head coach’s new roles. The way he handled Fortgate was wrong but I get the sense he knows he made a genuine mistake. As for Burns, it’s complicated whether I like him or not. The biggest thing he said so far as GM is basically that the Krafts gave him more flexibility, whether that means they are letting him spend more remains to be seen but after this season how could any club in a similar situation not spend more? We have a top three draft pick which will make a small base salary but higher guaranteed compensation, a top 2 re-entry draft pick which should be a player making decent money (but obviously being in the re-entry draft gives clubs the option to lower their salaries) and a top three allocation ordered player on top of important players that must be re-signed to keep some needed consistency and new players that must be signed to play positions we lack in. It’s gonna be an interesting off season and season!
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