News: 2021 new GM search

Very well then. To me it's an easy call since we don't really believe Waibel would do significantly better than Leitch.

 

These are unknowns. I'm a big Leitch supporter, obviously, so he'd be my choice, but if I were to make the decision based purely on direct previous experience for the job, I can see the argument for Waibel.

 

Waibel lived and played in San Jose but he was here pre-Fisher/Wolff. He may have fond memories of his time here but this is much different than the Johnny Moore days.

This club is not a passion project for John Fisher. It's dollars and cents. Leitch totally understands the parameters and doesn't get frustrated by them.

 

My vote (which won't be tallied) is for Leitch. But I have fond memories of Waibel.

Back when the Quakes faced off against Houston Dynamo in the 2008 preseason at Kezar Stadium in SF, unlike Brian Ching and several other former Quakes on the pitch, Waibel did not take offense to the abuse from the Ultras. He understood the mixed emotions of fans having their team ripped from them. Mature response.

 

Houston just fired their GM Matt Jordan. Another opportunity for someone.

 

I don't agree with Jazzy on very much, but I also really don't understand the hostility of anyone getting the job but Leitch, especially of Craig Waibel, of all people. I get wanting to reward Leitch for what he's done for the team thus far, but to dismiss qualified candidates purely because you want Leitch is pretty ridiculous, frankly.

My personal belief is that the GM position is the most important in the Quakes' org because Fisher very clearly knows nothing about the professional sports that he's involved with. He relies 100% on his GMs to get things right with whatever budgets he provides. So you kinda want to make sure you're getting it right. I don't really have faith that Fisher knows what a good GM in MLS looks like given his track record, but the people in discussion this time around seem to be the most promising yet.

I'd be fine if Waibel gets the job, personally. I think he's worked for teams that similarly weren't big spenders all the time and were good at figuring out ways to win. I'd also be fine if Leitch gets the job. His relationship to players seems to be a lot stronger than it would be with many GMs, which I would view as an asset.

 

Houston's new ownership showing signs of caring is not good news for us.

 

Sounds like it's going to be Chris "proven rock star" Leitch vs. Craig "I'd be fine with him" Waibel.

Lest there be any doubt, the job will go to CL.

If it were to be open for voting here on BS, I would need to know each candidates position on extending MA's contract as head coach.

 

...to your ample discredit!!

 

Do we know for a fact that Ian was NOT offered a position? Or did he just chose to leave?

 

I remember reading he chose to leave, but didn't shut the door to return in the future.

 

IOW, he didn't trash his office on the way out while yelling, "FU Jesse!!"

 

Waibel was one of those players who understood and appreciated fans. He once told me that he always advised other players that they should get involved with fans and community activities. He said he told them that their careers were not going to last forever. He said players should appreciate their time in the game, the whole experience, a large part of which was the pleasure to be had by getting involved with fans. I met him when I was teaching and bringing EQ players to my school every year. In this 2003 photo, Waibel (naturally) handled the microphone and spoke directly to the kids:

 

It's funny that you guys are debating Leitch vs Waibel, but on twitter i've read that the LA guy has the best odds.

 

The LA guy has a background with the Yankees and LAFC. Certainly he has not proven he can be successful without a big budget.

 

The last LA guy that was GM of the Quakes was the one I hated the most.

 

I think I could be successful with those budgets. And LAFC, so far, somehow, is not even successful this year. So, not impressed.

 

I would be happy with any of the folks mentioned so far. None of them are incredibly stupid, utterly unprepared, and smugly arrogant (in terms of his assessment of the league) like Fioranelli is/was.

 

Is that Laurelwood Elementary?

 

Nor has any of the other candidates proven success without a big budget. We are not likely to find many candidate who have been successful with a limited budget because they are not many clubs who have been. Of the last ten years, Portland and Columbus are potential examples.

 

I don't consider RSL a "big budget" team and under Waibel I think they went from 10th (the year before his 1st full year) to 6th, 6th, 8th, and 3rd - something like that. I consider that being relatively successful - playoffs 3 of 4 years, and one top 3 finish. It would be a significant improvement for us. We've had 3 finishes of 6th or higher in the last 10 years, and 2013 shouldn't really count because there were only 9 teams. So, really 2 in the last 10 years. Under Waibel RSL had 3 in 4 years.

 

Garth Lagerway left RSL at the end of 2014
Craig Waibel became Technical Director and then GM in 2015; left in Sep-2019

• 2015 - 9th of 10 in the West under Jeff Cassar
• 2016 - 6th of 10 in the West under Cassar
• 2017 - 8th of 10 in the West under Cassar followed by Mike Petke
• 2018 - 6th of 12 in the West under Petke
• 2019 - 3rd of 12 in the West under essentially Freddy Juarez

I looked at all the Wikipedia pages, I only see a couple of good transfers. The big difference in RSL came when Freddy Juarez got promoted up from the lower ranks, and he elevated a lot of home-growns in 2019, who I assume he had developed.

I think if Waibel became Quakes GM, we would continue in the same vein we have the last 10 years, just a goal of being mediocre. Well, realistically, probably the same would be true with Leitch.

 

Waibel became GM towards the end of 2015 I believe, which means he is not responsible for the low finish. He didn't last through all of 2019, but you can attribute 2019 mostly to him because he acquired the players. So under his GMship RSL went 6th (from 9th), 8th, 6th, and 3rd. And while he was GM, he also relocated and expanded RSL's academy, integrated Real Monarchs USL team, and put RSL near the top in homegrown minutes in MLS (2nd only to Dallas I think, when he left).

But you don't have to take my word for it. You can read what mlssoccer's Matt Doyle said about RSL in the 2019-2020 offseason (Waibel left towards the end of 2019).

t doesn't look like RSL are going to do much shopping this winter, and the biggest reason for that is they don't really have to as since-departed GM Craig Waibel did a very nice job of stacking this roster with above-average players both by building internally and making some good overseas signings.

FTR I still support Leitch as GM, but Waibel is not a bad candidate. He's had some success with another "not big spending" club.

 

Yes. Many memories there...

 

MLS used to have a "Dribble, Pass, Score" competition for kids similar to the NFL's "Punt. Pass, Kick" competition. There were local level competitions, with winners going to area, competitions, and those winners moving up etc. I worked with the Quakes each year to bring the program to Laurelwood School and all grade levels participated as a P.E. activity. It took all afternoon and my 3rd grade class and a great group of parent volunteers set up and ran it. One of my third-grade students, Jason Romero, won the competition in 2004 and made it all the way to the finals. So he and his parents got an all-expense paid trip to the Home Depot Center in LA where the final competition took place. Jason represented the SJ Earthquakes and took 1st place in his age-group that year. In the group photo below Jason is in the front row, center, Earthquakes jersey holding a ball. Jason was playing pro ball for St. George in NSW in Australia through last week. I think he is now leaving the team but I don't know what his next soccer stop, if any, is to be; that hasn't been announced yet.