Garth Lagerwey won't return as CEO of Atlanta United FC next season, a club spokesperson told ESPN.
Lagerwey, 52, was diagnosed with cancer in July, at which he point the club announced he was taking a leave of absence. Lagerwey returned later in the campaign in a limited capacity, but then took a second leave in October to focus solely on his recovery.
The spokesperson added that a search is underway for Lagerwey's successor, one that will see the eventual hire take on an expanded role that will include overseeing both Atlanta United, and the NWSL expansion team that was announced last month. The NWSL side will begin play in 2028, with the organization beginning to hire staff some time in 2026.
Lagerwey joined Atlanta United in 2022 after leading both Real Salt Lake and Seattle Sounders FC to considerable success. RSL claimed the 2010 MLS Cup, despite operating on a limited budget. They were also beaten finalists in the 2012 Concacaf Champions League. Lagerwey joined the Sounders in late 2014, and helped lead the club to two MLS Cup titles in 2016 and 2019, as well as the Concacaf Champions League in 2022.
The hope was that Lagerwey's arrival would ring in a new era in Atlanta, one that had begun to stray from the initial success the team enjoyed in its first several years in the league when it won the 2018 MLS Cup as well as the U.S. Open Cup the following year.
But Lagerwey's arrival was unable to arrest Atlanta's slide. While the Five Stripes rebounded briefly in 2023, and enjoyed a memorable playoff upset of Supporters' Shield winners Inter Miami in the 2024 playoffs, the team's overall league form continued to deteriorate, culminating in this season's 14th place finish in the Eastern Conference, 25 points behind Orlando City for the ninth and final playoff spot.
The downturn occurred as Atlanta continued to be one the league's biggest spenders. The most recent salary report from the MLS Players Association saw Atlanta rank third in the league with a spend of $28.48 million.
Atlanta has plenty of front office expertise still on board with chief soccer officer Chris Henderson, who was hired in December of last year, poised to handle roster building tasks alongside new manager Gerardo Martino. On the business side, the club has been run by Sarah Kate Noftsinger and Dimitrios Efstathiou.