FC Edmonton Hires Eric Newendorp As Club President And General Manager

Canadian Premier League side FC Edmonton has announced its first big front office addition following the stepping-down of interim GM Jeff Paulus, with former Rayo OKC GM Eric Newendorp assuming duties as Club President and General Manager of the Canadian Premier League club with immediate effect.

Newendorp had been reported to be the new man in charge of FC Edmonton by Tulsa World back in June, though the Eddies remained quiet regarding his hiring until now. Most recently, the new Eddies man served as VP of Sales and Analytics for the Tulsa Drillers, who are the AA affiliate to the LA Dodgers.

The new American arrival has over 25 years of experience as a sports executive, having spent a long stint with the Oklahoma City Blazers before more roles with FC Dallas and the Golden Hurricane Sports Properties at the University of Tulsa. He also spent time as the general manager of Rayo OKC in the NASL, and was Vice President of Sales and Analytics for FC Tulsa in the USL.

He also played a large role in the arrival of WNBA side Tulsa Shock, working in various marketing, communications, youth development, and sales positions during the side’s first five years.

The new Moore, Oklahoma-born arrival was officially welcomed by owners Tom and Dave Fath today:

We’re very excited to welcome Eric to the club. He brings an incredible range of experience in this industry to our organization, and we are confident he will provide the exact kind of leadership we need to get us where we want to be and help the team reach our goals, both on and off the pitch.

Tom Fath

The Eddies had been without a full-time general manager for just under a calendar year following the departure of Jay Ball last November, with former head coach Jeff Paulus having filled in on an interim basis.

The club is in for a period of transition following a disappointing Island Games campaign that saw Jeff Paulus step down as head coach, with the longtime Eddies man revealing that his current youth development-focused role was a transitional one that might cease to be when a new head coach gets picked.

With Newendorp now unveiled as the Eddies’ top man, one expects that bringing in a new head coach will be the next order of business for the Alberta-based side. In regards that, thus far both Colin Miller and Deano Morley have stated that they haven’t been approached by the Canadian Premier League side.

Newendorp had this to say to fans following his official announcement:

I am very humbled and honoured to be a part of the FC Edmonton family, and the Edmonton community. I recognize that this is a tremendous opportunity, and I am extremely grateful to Tom and Dave for trusting me with this great responsibility. I’m ready to get to work doing whatever it takes to build a club for which our players, coaches, sponsors, Edmontonians, and most importantly our fans and supporters can be proud.

Eric Newendorp

More FC Edmonton news is expected to come soon, with well-connected Eddies informer Kassim Khimji stating that fans should expect some player-related news in the near future. Nearly all of the Eddies squad were on expiring contracts at last check, though Dylon Powley recently revealed he had signed a contract for next year (though it’s unclear with whom).

Both the Halifax Wanderers and Valour FC proved that massive rebuilds could lead to success in the following season, though it remains to be seen what direction Newendorp will take the club following his arrival in Edmonton.