Football
Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondent 5y

U.S. Soccer Federation CEO Dan Flynn stepping down - sources

Dan Flynn will step down as CEO and secretary general of the U.S. Soccer Federation some time next year, sources have confirmed to ESPN FC.

The Washington Post was the first to report the news.

Flynn, 63, was named secretary general back in 2000, a time when the USSF was in extreme financial difficulty, and oversaw a period of rapid growth and increased stability, with the federation now sitting on a surplus of $150 million.

Flynn's tenure largely coincided with that of former USSF president Sunil Gulati, who opted not to run for re-election last February after 12 years at the helm. Gulati was succeeded by Carlos Cordeiro. Flynn is expected to assist with the transition.

The longtime soccer executive underwent a heart transplant back in 2016, but one source stressed that Flynn is in good physical condition, and that his health wasn't a factor in his decision to step aside.

On the day that Cordeiro was elected Flynn had told ESPN FC that the decision as to whether he would continue in his role "would be worked out in the next couple of months." Now it appears a final decision has been made.

Flynn was part of the St. Louis University men's soccer team that won an NCAA title in 1973. He had a brief stint with the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the NASL, but was forced to stop playing due to knee problems.

He later enjoyed a successful business career with Anheuser-Busch. He was Chicago's venue executive director during the 1994 World Cup, a position that he later parlayed into positions with the USSF and the U.S. Soccer Foundation.

Most recently he was on the Board of Directors for the United Bid Committee that along with Mexico and Canada successfully secured the hosting rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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