Molly Downtain named GM of San Diego NWSL team

San Diego’s NWSL team has its first general manager.

✍️ Jill's first hire.#SanDiegoNWSL name Molly Downtain as General Manager: https://t.co/Wv8rqAoqPg pic.twitter.com/HKmvXv3XiE

— San Diego (@SanDiegoNWSL) July 12, 2021

Appointed by club president Jill Ellis, former US Women’s National Team Administrator Molly Downtain will serve as the club’s first general manager. The two worked together from 2015-2019, when Ellis coached the USWNT. Downtain served as the team’s administrator during their World Cup victory in 2019.

“Molly is incredibly talented and passionate about women’s soccer with deep roots in the sport and in NWSL,” said Ellis in a release. “She brings an intimate knowledge of the inner workings of a team and detailed, first-hand knowledge of some of the most talented players in the world.”

As general manager, Downtain will oversee the club’s player acquisitions, scouting and technical staff decisions, working closely with Ellis and the club’s head coach.

“At the end of the day Molly was seamless but absolutely the glue behind our operation in terms of just making sure we got everything accomplished that we needed to,” Ellis said of Downtain’s role within the USWNT and how she fits as a leader and manager of logistics within the new team. 

Ellis has been adamant in saying that she is placing emphasis on hiring all women to leadership positions. With the hiring of Downtain, Ellis is now 1-for-1 in that effort.