Grizzle named CFC’s interim GM
The Chattanooga Football Club announced Friday that co-founder Sheldon Grizzle will take over the general manager role on an interim basis. He will fill the void left by former GM Sean McDaniel, who resigned last week to take a similar position with the city’s new professional soccer team, according to sources familiar with the process.
An official with the new pro club would not confirm McDaniel’s involvement.
Grizzle played with Chattanooga FC, an amateur club in the National Premier Soccer League’s South Region, in its inaugural season in 2009.
“Chattanooga FC has been homegrown from day one, and we are committed to keeping it that way,” Grizzle said in a CFC release. “In concert with our supporters and community stakeholders, against all odds, we have created something truly unique in Chattanooga. Professional and amateur soccer team ownership groups from around the country continue to look at Chattanooga as an inspiration for what can happen when something is created from the ground up.”
CFC chairman Tim Kelly recently told the Times Free Press there’s “nothing to the job” of being the club’s GM in the offseason, so there would be no rush to replace McDaniel.
“We’ll have to hire one before next season,” Kelly said, noting the job primarily consists of the scheduling of matches and bringing in of players, along with some offseason marketing, which the board as a whole primarily does.
The rest of the board is still
intact. Kelly remains in his role of chairman and will share oversight of operations with executive committee members Grizzle, Thomas Clark and Paul Rustand. Krue Brock, Marshall Brock and Daryl Heald round out the board.
Last month, CFC completed its 10th season, falling in the Southeast Conference tournament final in a shootout. During its time, the club has seven conference championships and has finished national runner-up four times.
The new United Soccer League Division III club — its name has not been announced — is set to begin play in March 2019.
“In light of recent circumstances, it’s important to reiterate that Chattanooga FC was built and not bought,” Kelly said. “Our club was founded by Chattanoogans for Chattanoogans, and after 10 years we are dedicated to growing Chattanooga FC.”
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress. com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.