With Dominic Kinnear leaving the Houston Dynamo for the San Jose Earthquakes, changes were on the way in the Lone Star State. For starters, a vice president and general manager were going to be hired before Kinnears’ head coach successor was found. On Tuesday, the Dynamo hired Matt Jordan as vice president and general manager. Interestingly, he is the team’s first general manager.
“Matt is a leader, and that’s what I saw in him, and continue to see in him.” – Dynamo president Chris Canneti
Jordan has front office MLS experience. For the past four years, he was the Montreal Impact GM. It appears Jordan is the right man for the job as the Dynamo enter a new era with separate people coaching on the field and making personnel changes off the field.
President Chris Canetti voiced his pleasure in hiring Jordan on Twitter shortly after the news was announced.
I am please to welcome Matt Jordan as our new VP/GM. He is an excellent addition to our club. Can't wait to get to work on our future.
— Chris Canetti (@ChrisCanetti) November 4, 2014
It’s a smart hire by the Dynamo. Jordan brings MLS front office experience to a team that will soon have only their second coach in franchise history. Jordan will handle players contracts, a soon to be created USL Pro team, and other team and personnel choices. He will report directly to Canetti and is pleased to be joining one of the most successful MLS sides.
"“I’d like to thank the Houston Dynamo for the opportunity to join one of Major League Soccer’s most successful clubs,” said Jordan to the Houston Dynamo’s website. “The Dynamo have a strong history of success, a dedicated and knowledgeable fan base, a beautiful, state-of-the art downtown stadium, an excellent training facility and a strong commitment to youth development, all key elements as we look to implement our vision into the future. I look forward to working with Chris Canetti and his dedicated staff, whose passion is evident throughout the club. We look forward to the challenge of putting a team on the field and in the community that the city of Houston can not only be proud of, but that is also a reflection of our dedicated supporters.”"
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Jordan is well-respected within MLS circles due to his success as a MLS player and young front office member with the Impact upon retirement.
"“There is a general feeling throughout our industry that Matt is a leader, and that’s what I saw in him and continue to see in him, and I know Matt is the perfect guy for this club at this time,” Canetti told members of the media on Tuesday."
As the 2015 approaches, Jordan is excited for what lies ahead when he spoke to media members on Tuesday.
"“I can tell you from competing against the Dynamo, there are a lot of very talented pieces on the team right now that we feel good about. The foundation is very strong, but we don’t want to be complacent. We want to improve the team and we are going to take a logical and methodical approach to that.”"