LOS ANGELES, Feb 7, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Jay Berhalter, the longtime soccer
executive and elder brother of US men’s team coach Gregg Berhalter, is
stepping down as US Soccer’s chief commercial officer, the federation said
Thursday.
The announcement came a day after Sports Illustrated reported that Jay
Berhalter was no longer in the running to fill US Soccer’s vacant chief
executive officer position, with the new CEO expected to be recruited from
outside.
Dan Flynn served as the federation’s chief executive for two decades before
stepping down last year.
“My decision to leave US Soccer was not an easy one to make,” Jay Berhalter
said in a statement. “But it’s the right one for my family and me at this
time.”
Jay Berhalter served two separate spells at US Soccer, working there for
almost 15 years in all.
He originally joined the federation in 2000 as its chief operating officer.
That background made him a contender to take over from Flynn, who took a
step back from his duties after undergoing heart transplant surgery in 2016.
But the hiring of Gregg Berhalter as coach of the men’s team in 2018 —
more than a year after the Americans failed to qualify for the World Cup for
the first time since 1986 — likely lessened his chances of getting the job
due to the appearance of a potential conflict of interest.