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Tim Bezbatchenko, 31-year-old “soccer wonk,” hired as Toronto FC’s new general manager
What's the best fit for a team that has a head coach with no prior coaching experience? How about a general manager with no previous experience in that role? That's what Toronto FC's elected to do, naming Tim Bezbatchenko as their new general manager Friday. Bezbatchenko, 31, is an unconventional hire for more than just his age, as he hasn't even worked in a smaller player personnel role with a team. Instead, he's been working as the senior director of player relations and competition in the Major League Soccer offices. Here's what Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment president Tim Leiweke said about Bezbatchenko at Friday's news conference:
“If you look at the track record with this club, where we have had our problems has been with cap management and our contracts,” Leiweke told reporters on Friday. “We have not done as good a job of developing relationships within Major League Soccer with other general managers. ... We had a few people on our list, but we were pretty specific that we think the league is changing.
“We think if you look at the NBA, they're a good example for us to follow – where analytical skills, the ability to understand the cap and manage the cap, and, as someone has called him, a wonk, is a high priority for us going forward.
“We want to be in a position where we do a better job of analyzation than any other club in the league.”
And here's what Cathal Kelly of The Toronto Star wrote about how unusual this hire is:
Most of the men in the GM ranks of Major League Soccer are unfamiliar to casual fans. Even by that measure, it’s fair to call Bezbatchenko an unlikely choice. He’s a name even very clued-in followers of the league will have trouble placing.
Historically, TFC management hires have fallen into two categories: former top-level pros with little experience (Aron Winter, Paul Mariner, Ryan Nelsen) or well-travelled fast talkers (Mo Johnston, Kevin Payne).
Bezbatchenko is neither. He is, by all reports, a soccer wonk. Trained as a lawyer, Bezbatchenko has no management experience at the club level. He is a stats guy and a contracts expert most comfortable working in the background. It’s unlikely he’ll be seen at team practices in shorts and cleats.
Most recently, Bezbatchenko worked at MLS’s New York head office as the league’s senior director of player relations and competition.
In that role, he handled all of the league’s contracts with players. Since MLS is organized as a single-entity ownership, wherein all the players are signed and paid directly by the league, Bezbatchenko was in effect the league’s GM.
It's going to be interesting to watch how the Bezbatchenko hire plays out. While Kelly's quite right that he was essentially the league's GM from a contract-negotiation perspective, he hasn't really dealt with much on the roster-construction side. Still, cap management is vitally important in MLS, and Bezbatchenko will certainly bring some valuable experience on that side. One key question is how well he'll work with head coach Ryan Nelsen, as coach/GM divides have worked out poorly for TFC in the past. Another important question is just how long this duo will be around. Previous president/general manager Kevin Payne only spent nine months on the job before getting fired; we'll see if Bezbatchenko can outlast him.
