ATL Standard

Atlanta United has appointed David Tenney as its new Director of High Performance. Tenney, who has over two decades of experience in sports performance, joins from Austin FC, where he held the same role for four years. His previous positions include a three-year stint with the NBA's Orlando Magic and eleven years in Major League Soccer (MLS) with Seattle Sounders and Sporting Kansas City.

"We're excited to welcome David to the club as Director of High Performance," said Atlanta United President and CEO Garth Lagerwey. "Considered a leader in our industry, David brings 20 years of experience in elite sports performance during which he worked for multiple MLS teams and across multiple different sports."

During his tenure at Austin FC, which began in September 2020, Tenney prepared the team for its inaugural season in 2021. His leadership was instrumental at Orlando Magic between 2017 and 2020, helping the team reach consecutive playoff appearances.

Tenney expressed enthusiasm about joining Atlanta United: "Throughout my experience in MLS, it’s been evident that Atlanta United has the ambition to compete for trophies on an annual basis and to ultimately be one of the most successful teams in the league."

Tenney's career includes notable achievements with Seattle Sounders where he led their sports performance department for nine seasons. Under his guidance, Seattle reached two MLS Cups, won three U.S. Open Cups out of four finals, and qualified for playoffs each year.

Before joining Seattle Sounders, Tenney served as Fitness and Goalkeeper Coach at Sporting Kansas City and held similar roles at George Mason University. He also contributed significantly to youth development programs including serving as Director of Girls Olympic Development Program (ODP) for Maryland.

Tenney holds a Bachelor's degree from George Mason University, a Master's degree from California University of Pennsylvania, a Master’s certificate from Vitor Frade's Tactical Periodization Methodology program, and a Doctorate from the University of Arizona. He is also President of the Professional Soccer Performance Association.