RSL announces Kurt Schmid in technical director role

Real Salt Lake has made an announcement: They’ve hired a technical director. It’s Kurt Schmid, who has been in the same role at Inter Miami for the past two years.

What exactly does a technical director do? The press release gives some details, which is helpful, since that can be highly variable from organization to organization.

• Leading scouting department
• Development and supervision of player progression plans
• Developing club’s soccer curriculum
• Managing player movement between Real Salt Lake, Real Monarchs and the RSL Academy

Schmid has been in and around MLS since 2009, when he joined Seattle Sounders. He is the son of Sounders coaching legend Sigi Schmid, who died in Dec. 2018.

Kurt Schmid left the Sounders in 2017 for LA Galaxy, where he was over player personnel and scouting.

From the club-issued release. Schmid:

“I have always taken an interest in how Real Salt Lake approaches youth development to enhance what has long been a successfully run organization. I am eager for the opportunity to be a part of the Club’s continued growth in MLS and look forward to working with the staff to bring RSL back to prominence.”

Fall, from the same:

“We are thrilled to add somebody with Kurt’s experience and expertise to our staff. He brings a wealth of knowledge of the game and the league and will complement our operation from top-to-bottom. His passion for player development and the sport in our country will be an invaluable asset for Real Salt Lake for years to come.”