Change is in the Air

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Weeks after the club parted ways with Steve Nicol, the Revolution announced more changes as Chief Operating Officer Brian Bilello and Vice President of Player Personnel Michael Burns were promoted to President and General Manager, respectively.

The promotions, which are effective immediately, give the organization greater transparency, not to mention accountability, to the club’s organizational structure – something that was direly needed of under the helm of former president Sunil Gulati, who will now assume the role of special advisor to the Kraft Group and the Kraft Family.

In a press release detailing of the announcement, Revolution owner/investor Robert Kraft acknowledged that the changes were in response to the significant developments that have taken place within MLS in recent years.

“Major League Soccer has evolved significantly in the last few years and while we felt we had a structure in place that had worked well earlier and led us to success, the last two years did not live up to our expectations,” said Revolution owner/investor Robert Kraft. “With this new executive structure, we will be better positioned to compete for championships on the field while we continue to focus on growing our business and building a soccer-specific venue in the Commonwealth.”

It wasn’t long ago – back in 2007 – that the team was regularly competing for those championships. But with the emergence of designated players, increased spending, and lucrative business partnerships, the team’s form gradually receded. After clinching an astonishing eight-straight postseason berths from 2002-2009, the team fell short during its last two seasons, with 2011 being its worst on record.

Recognizing the need for change, the organization promoted Bilello, who served as COO for the past six seasons, to president. Although his responsibilities were focused on business development, the MIT graduate steps into the President’s role with a considerable understanding of how MLS works, and will provide the team with the everyday presence that Gulati could not give in light of his concurrent duties as president of U.S. Soccer.

“Brian is a well-versed and well-respected sports business executive,” owner/investor Jonathan Kraft said in a statement. “Not only does he have a tremendous passion for soccer, but he also has a deep connection to the Revolution and a strong desire to be part of Major League Soccer’s continued growth. Coupled with his business acumen, we believe Brian is well-suited to guide the club and we’re excited he’s agreed to take on this new challenge.”

Bilello won’t be the only one taking on a new challenge. In his four years as Vice President of Player Personnel, Burns’ regularly worked with the coaching staff, negotiated contracts, and oversaw the development of the youth academy. Now, he will undertake many of the traditional general manager responsibilities, becoming the point person in dealing with player acquisitions, coaching staff evaluations, and scouting.

“We’re pleased Michael has accepted this new role,” Jonathan Kraft said in a statement. “He is well-grounded in both American soccer and the Revolution, and he has a long history with our family. During the last few years, he has proven to us that he is talented and more than capable to take on these responsibilities and lead our soccer operations.”

Those responsibilities include the evaluation and renovation of a roster that fell far short of meeting expecations in 2011. But with their five-win season in the rearview, the top priority at the moment is to bring in a new head coach to get the ball rolling on roster renovations. With “about a dozen” candidates already interviewed, according to Bilello, the team hopes to name its next head coach within the next week or so.

But that will only be the first of many items to attend to for Bilello and Burns. Once new head coach is in place, both will be busy in their efforts to restore the club to its mid-2000s form, when it competed in four MLS Cups. It’ll be a monumental task for sure, but not an entirely impossible one, especially given the healthy level of parity within the league.

Nevertheless, the changes, at very least, signal that Kraft Soccer is serious about turning the ship around. Bilello’s presence gives the team an active and involved president, while Burns will continue to lend his expertise to the club’s everyday issues, albeit with a more narrow focus. If anything, Wednesday’s restructuring gives the organization a much-neeed sense of accountability going forward.

“I think it’s very important to have that every day presence on the team side,” said Bilello shortly after the announcement was made. “I certainly have a lot of ideas, and I know Mike has a lot of ideas, of things that we need to do incrementally to put the best team on the field.”