Atlanta United "Director of High Performance" David Tenney departs club for Real Salt Lake
Atlanta United will collect $100k in General Allocation Money compensation as a result of its head of the medical department leaving for RSL.
Atlanta United’s former Director of High Performance David Tenney has left the club and signed with Real Salt Lake after just over a year with the Five Stripes, the club announced.
Former Atlanta United President Garth Lagerwey was excited to add Tenney to the club, noting him and his role as part of the club’s overall key leadership alongside the head coach and sporting director (evidence of just how highly he was valued).
As part of compensation, Atlanta is awarded with $100k in General Allocation Money from RSL, which could prove useful during the current transfer window where funds appear tight.
Tenney’s departure signals more than just a change in the medical department, where Dr. Amadeus Mason will lead on an interim basis while a search for Tenney’s successor begins. Since Lagerwey stepped down and Tata Martino has come aboard, the “old school” head coach may not have been as amenable to the strict performance protocols Tenney implemented. Likewise, Tenney perhaps saw that his work may not be as valued or implemented to the same degree under current leadership.
It can’t go unnoticed that Atlanta United suffered its worst league finish in history during Tenney’s only season with the club. While it’s certainly not all Tenney’s fault, key players such as Latte Lath, Stian Gregersen and Derrick Williams missed significant portions of the season with injuries. But Tenney (and Lagerwey) seemed to at least establish some standards for health monitoring that the club can continue to use going forward.