Sources: U.S. Soccer has fired key executives Brian Remedi and Tonya Wallach

• by Beau Dure  @duresport, Apr 16, 2020

They were among layoffs that took place throughout the federation on Wednesday and coincided with the announcement that the Development Academy was ceasing operations.

Remedi had been serving as the federation’s chief administrative officer, essentially the top position in U.S. Soccer since the retirement of CEO Dan Flynn in September. Before taking the new role, he had been U.S. Soccer’s chief stakeholders officer, overseeing the member services department. He also had previously held the title of chief administrative officer, but that title took on more meaning in the absence of a CEO.

Former sports agent and NFL Europe managing director Will Wilson, who had at one time worked at Major League Soccer and Soccer United Marketing, was named to the vacant CEO position March 23.

Wallach was the federation’s chief talent and inclusion officer, hired in 2017 and included as part of a management reshuffling in April 2018, soon after Carlos Cordeiro took over as president. The move was billed as part of “an effort to promote equality and inclusion across the organization.”

Remedi was one of the highest-paid executives at U.S. Soccer even before he took on his new role. According to the federation’s Form 990 for the fiscal year ending March 2019, he earned $326,745 in reportable compensation and $35,217 in other compensation.

The second-highest paid executive at U.S. Soccer, behind Flynn, was Jay Berhalter, who earned $779,765 plus other compensation of $37,015. Berhalter, long considered the most likely replacement for Flynn, left U.S. Soccer earlier this year.

Executive pay has been a concern of many U.S. Soccer critics and watchdogs. But Wallach’s compensation was not high enough to be reported on the 990.

U.S. Soccer, which had been planning to spend its assets down to $42 million, is having to adapt on the fly to the uncertainty of a potential eight-figure payout to the women’s team to settle its lawsuit and the possibility of losing revenue during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Cutting the Development Academy, budgeted to cost $12 million in the fiscal year that began April 1, will lead to long-term savings.