Major League Soccer owners have tapped Korn Ferry to run their search for a potential new commissioner, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.
Korn Ferry’s selection is part of formal discussions that began last year about a succession plan for Don Garber, said the people, who were granted anonymity because the details are private. Garber has held the role since 1999, and his current contract runs through the end of the 2027 season.
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A new “succession committee” comprised of MLS owners met for the first time at league meetings in November, and Garber did not participate in that discussion, according to SBJ. The committee separately retained The Miles Group (TMG) to help advise on the succession process, and TMG has been meeting with people around the league since the middle of last year, sources said.
Korn Ferry’s mandate will be more specifically aimed at sourcing and evaluating candidates. Garber was involved in the selection process, a source said, though the decision was made by the committee.
“As part of the comprehensive organizational review initiated last year to evaluate MLS’ leadership structure, operational effectiveness, and long-term governance, the Board of Governors and Commissioner Garber have retained an executive search firm to support succession planning,” an MLS spokesman said in a statement. “This step reflects responsible long-term planning and is aligned with the league’s broader evolution.”
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The spokesman declined to comment on the firm itself. A representative from Korn Ferry declined to comment.
MLS was just a few years into operations—and struggling to gain footing—when Garber was hired from the NFL. In his two and half decades at the helm, he’s overseen the league’s dramatic growth. MLS now has 30 franchises, with an average valuation of $767 million. On Sportico’s list of the 50 most valuable soccer teams in the world, MLS clubs occupy 19 spots, more than any other league.
That said, the league is entering a critical phase, one that may require the direction of its long-term leadership. MLS’ media deal with Apple was recently revised to end three-and-a-half years earlier than originally expected, and the league is flipping its calendar to more closely match the big European leagues in 2027. The U.S. is also co-hosting the World Cup later this year, an opportunity that league owners have trumpeted for the past decade.
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With the calendar flip, Garber’s contract now expires in the middle of the 2027-28 season, a less-than-ideal time for a leadership transition. It’s unclear if Garber would pursue a new contract, or how receptive owners would be if he did.
There are already big changes underway at the league office. Deputy commissioner Mark Abbott stepped down a few years ago, and CMO Radhika Duggal started last year. In November, deputy commissioner Gary Stevenson, who has been at the league since 2013, told board members he was leaving this year.
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