Dell Loy Hansen names Waibel RSL general manager, Zarkos VP of soccer administration

Dell Loy Hansen has named Craig Waibel the new general manager of Real Salt Lake, meaning RSL's technical director will serve the role Hansen had said he'd expected him to step into, according to a club-issued press release.

Waibel joined Real Salt Lake as a member of the coaching staff in 2014 and became the team's technical director to start 2015 after general manager Garth Lagerwey left the club.

He'll be joined by Rob Zarkos, Real Monarchs president, who has been named Real Salt Lake's Vice President of Soccer Administration.

It's unclear at this point what sort of working relationship there will be between the two roles, although the press release notes Zarko's experience in "legal, operations, and contract administration."

I'm very appreciative of the communication and responsibility that Mr. Hansen is willing to invest in the entire Real Salt Lake soccer hierarchy. Expanding the opportunity and ability on the team side to compete in the MLS arms race requires short-term expertise and long-term planning. I am very confident RSL fans will be rewarded as we re-engineer the team operations to focus our discipline, adapt to a new world and position the Claret-and-Cobalt for perennial success.

— Craig Waibel, RSL Communications press release

We will live up to our motto 'RSL As One' as we forge ahead to build a fully-integrated organization With improved communication and sharing greater responsibilities across the club, our team-oriented approach is expected to pay massive dividends for the sport at all levels in the great state of Utah and across the region.

— Rob Zarkos, RSL Communications press release

Craig and Rob are extraordinarily bright, successful individuals, now empowered to permeate their winning, responsible track records throughout the club. By bolstering the human resources on the soccer side, Waibel, Zarkos and many others will provide the energy and vision needed to further evolve this club forward, spearheading our initiatives to keep RSL at the forefront of MLS for the foreseeable future.

— Dell Loy Hansen, RSL Communications press release