RSL owner Dell Loy Hansen takes interim president role

With Bill Manning departing Real Salt Lake, Dell Loy Hansen, owner, will step into an interim president role as he undertakes an organizational restructure, he revealed in an interview with Bill Riley on club-owned ESPN 700.

Hansen said he will hold that role until December 15, when a new president will be named.

As part of that restructure, Hansen said it's "likely" that technical director Craig Waibel will take on a broader role as a "very empowered" general manager position, and that there would be a larger staff under that role.

That would include two to three hires, he said, which may consist of statistical analyst positions and scouts.

"That may be the best way for Real to progress into what I call the third phase of MLS Soccer," Hansen said in an interview on ESPN 700.

As for Manning's departure, Hansen said that the departure was to enable the organizational restructure. That was necessary in part because Manning's contract was designed for a smaller organization, he said.

"We both came to the conclusion, that as the organization became more horizontal, that may not be the organization he would want to lead," Hansen said.

Check back later for more quotes from Real Salt Lake owner Dell Loy Hansen.