Atlanta United FC tabs Stephen Glass as interim head coach

Atlanta United 2 head coach Stephen Glass will serve as interim head coach of Atlanta United FC’s MLS squad following the departure of Frank De Boer.

Glass will take over effective immediately while the team has begun to search for a permanent replacement for De Boer. Academy Director Tony Annan will take over as interim head coach of Atlanta United 2.

Following a distinguished professional playing career, Glass joined Atlanta United in August 2018 as a coach for the Atlanta United Academy focusing on the U-17 squad. He was promoted to head coach of the club’s USL Championship affiliate ATL UTD 2 in January 2019.

“Stephen not only has professional experience as a player at the highest levels of the sport, he is a proven leader and is well respected as a coach by his players and staff,” said Atlanta United president Darren Eales. “We have great confidence that Stephen will reenergize the team and move the club in the right direction during this transition period.”

A Scotland native, Glass began his playing career at Aberdeen FC where he made more than 110 appearances and scored eight goals during five seasons. He moved to the English Premier League with Newcastle United in 1998-2001 and scored seven times in 42 appearances. He then spent two seasons in the English Championship with Watford before moving back to Scotland and appearing in 86 matches for Hibernian. He concluded his playing career with a stint in NASL as a member of the Carolina RailHawks in 2011. Overall, Glass made 380 professional league appearances, while also representing Scotland internationally.

“I am honored to take over as interim head coach for the Atlanta United first team,” Glass said. “I am committed to continuing the hard work the team has done to establish itself as a top club in MLS, and to meeting the high standard expected of us both on and off the field. I look forward to quickly establishing a structure and rapport with the players as we prepare to return to play in our home market.”

Glass holds a UEFA Pro coaching license. His staff will be comprised of holdovers Rob Valentino (assistant), Liam Curran (goalkeeping coach) and Jack Kimber (fitness coach), as well as Henry Apaloo (interim assistant) who has also been promoted from ATL UTD 2.

Meanwhile, Annan will take over as interim head coach of ATL UTD 2, effective immediately. He will make his club coaching debut when ATL UTD 2 plays Miami FC on Wednesday at Fifth Third Bank Stadium (7:30 p.m., ESPN+).

Annan joined the club in April 2016 and was promoted to Academy Director later on in December. Atlanta’s Academy was the first in MLS history to launch before its first team and its inaugural season turned out to be a banner year, as the U17s – coached by Annan – won the U.S. Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) national championship. Prior to joining Atlanta United, Annan had already accumulated more than 20 years of experience coaching in the Atlanta market, and also founded the Georgia United development program.