SACRAMENTO, Calif. (May 15, 2018) — Sacramento Republic FC today announced that Warren Smith, who co-founded the club in 2012 and has most recently served as President, will assume the role of Senior Advisor as part of a succession plan that began a year ago today.
“Warren’s contributions to Republic FC, and to the City of Sacramento as a whole, cannot be overstated,” said Kevin Nagle, Chairman & CEO of Republic FC. “Thanks to Warren’s vision and unwavering commitment, Republic FC is a leading franchise and USL champion, and we are on our way to achieving our goal of bringing Major League Soccer to Sacramento.”
In Smith’s new role with Republic FC, he will continue to be involved in community initiatives, stadium operations and fan engagement. This has been part of an ongoing transition for Smith since May 15, 2017, when Sac Soccer & Entertainment Holdings finalized the purchase of Sacramento Republic FC. Since that time, Smith has focused his efforts on business development and facility operations.
Today, Oklahoma City Energy FC formally announced that Smith will serve the franchise as Senior Advisor. Smith will also be consulting in the industry with a focus on the continued growth of the USL across the country.
Smith co-founded the club in 2012 with Joe Wagoner, the club’s Executive Vice President, and helped launch its first season in the United Soccer League in 2014, including an inaugural match at Hughes Stadium in front of a sell-out crowd. The two were responsible for starting up every key element of the franchise and making early hires, including those of Director of Football, Graham Smith, Sac Republic’s first coach, Predrag Radosavljevic (Preki) and eventual second head coach, Paul Buckle.
“It has been, and will continue to be, an honor to work alongside the talented SRFC staff as well as our devoted fans to build this club from the ground up for our Indomitable City,” said Smith. “Together as a region, we have already accomplished so much and we are only just getting started. I love and believe in Sacramento and our abilities when we are unified in our fight for our city. Kevin Nagle deserves an immense amount of credit for leading Sacramento’s MLS bid and I am confident that we will accomplish our collective goal of bringing MLS here in the near future.”
“This organization and this team would not be where we are today were it not for Warren,” said Republic FC Chief Operating Officer Ben Gumpert. “We will continue to rely upon his skills, passion and commitment to this club and to our city and look forward to building on our work together.”
About Sacramento Republic FC
Sacramento Republic FC is a record-breaking USL franchise and the 2014 USL Champion. Through an unrivaled level of support from its fans and community, the club is leading a movement to secure MLS rights and build a soccer-specific stadium in Downtown Sacramento. Founded in 2012, Republic FC exists to make the Sacramento region into the most inspiring, energetic and rewarding place to live, work and play through the beautiful game. For more information, visit www.sacrepublicfc.com.
