WASHINGTON, D.C., (November 20, 2023) – D.C. United have announced the hiring of Ally Mackay as the club’s new General Manager and Chief Soccer Officer. Mackay joins the Black-and-Red after spending the previous five seasons as Nashville SC’s Assistant General Manager. At 37 years old, Mackay becomes the youngest active General Manager and Chief Soccer Officer in Major League Soccer.
"Ally possesses the qualities we were looking for in the person to lead our soccer operations as we enter D.C. United's exciting new chapter. His experience from multiple perspectives, having served both in an MLS front office and as a player agent, will be valuable as it relates to culture building and identifying, supporting and harnessing talent. He is full of energy and passion for this opportunity. We are thrilled to welcome Ally and his family to the D.C. United family,” said D.C. United Co-Chairman and CEO, Jason Levien.
In his role, Mackay will oversee soccer operations for D.C. United, which includes player identification, recruitment, acquisition and roster development, integration of the academy and youth pipeline to the first team, and the management and oversight of the technical staff. Mackay will lead the club’s process to identify its next head coach. Mackay will report directly to D.C. United Co-Chairmen Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan.
“I’m excited and proud to take on this role and have the responsibility of leading this historic franchise forward into the next chapter. There are numerous elements that drew me to the club including the city itself, the passionate support from the fanbase, and a massive and immediate opportunity for growth on the soccer side,” said Ally Mackay, D.C. United General Manager and Chief Soccer Officer. “As I take on this role, it’s extremely motivating to reflect on the unmatched tradition and past successes of D.C. United. I have high expectations for myself and for the club and a strong belief that we can grow quickly and sustainably in the direction we and our fanbase demand. There are a lot of strong foundational elements already in place at the club that we can build on and improve and I’m eager to get started.”
Mackay joined Nashville prior to the club’s inaugural season in Major League Soccer and was tasked with both identifying talent within the league and across the global soccer landscape and recruiting them to join the expansion club. He played an integral role in the organization signing their first Designated Player in team history, German forward Hany Mukhtar, who was the 2022 MLS MVP and the 2022 MLS Golden Boot winner with 23 goals. Mackay also played a crucial role in signing American defender Walker Zimmerman, who was the 2020 and 2021 MLS Defender of the Year. With Mackay in a leadership role in the soccer operations division of the club, Nashville SC became only the third team in MLS history to qualify for the MLS Playoffs every year (four years) since their inception. In 2022, they reached the U.S. Open Cup Quarter Finals where they fell to Orlando City SC in penalty kicks. This season, Nashville SC reached the final of the inaugural Leagues Cup, a new competition between MLS and Liga MX, but ultimately lost to Inter Miami CF in a penalty shoot-out. During his time with the organization, Mackay helped Nashville SC to a 46-32-47 record.
Prior to joining Nashville in 2019, Mackay was a licensed player agent with the Stellar Group Agency, a leader in the sports agency industry. Some of the notable names to be represented by the Stellar Group Agency are Gareth Bale (former Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur), Jordan Pickford (Everton FC and England National Team) and Marcos Rojo (former Manchester United). During his time with the agency, Mackay built and maintained extensive scouting networks in North America, Europe, South America, Australia, and Africa. The Scotland native worked closely on contract negotiations on behalf of players and coaches.
Mackay, a native of the Isle of Lewis located off the west coast of Scotland, was a product of the Partick Thistle Academy in the top division of Scottish soccer. After captaining the U-19 team, Mackay joined the University of Evansville to compete in NCAA Division I soccer.
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