Elliot Fall, Freddy Juarez Named RSL General Manager, Head Coach

SANDY, Utah – Real Salt Lake’s long search for a new general manager and head coach have concluded with the announcement that Elliot Fall will take over as the new general manager and Freddy Juarez will become RSL’s fifth head coach.

Elliot Fall has been with the club since 2007 when he joined as an intern. Since then, he has climbed the front office ladder going from team administrator to, director of soccer operations to interim general manager to finally landing the full-time role.

Elliot Fall is @realsaltlake’s new general manager while Freddy Juarez has been appointed as RSL’s 5th Head Coach. #RSL #StrongerTogether

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) December 3, 2019

Fall has worked under very successful predecessors Garth Lagerwey and Craig Waibel. During Lagerwey’s stint as GM, Fall would spend his evenings in Lagerwey’s office learning the intricacies of scouting and soccer management. Following Lagerwey’s departure to Seattle, Fall continued to learn and educate himself under Waibel.

Prior to being announced as the general manager, Fall spent the previous five years as the assistant GM…preparing himself for the opportunity he has finally been given.

Fall is a Utah native and a University of Utah graduate.

Freddy Juarez has also taken a similar path to that of Fall’s. Following a successful MLS playing career, Juarez began his coaching career as the RSL academy coach before becoming the inaugural head coach of the Real Monarchs, RSL’s second division team, where he spent two years before being signed as an assistant coach for RSL on December 6, 2016. During his stint as head coach of the Monarchs, Juarez won 17 games from a possible 58.

Despite multiple head coaching changes, Juarez has remained employed by the club as an assistant. Following the Mike Petke debacle that ended with Petke losing his job, Juarez took over the reins on an interim basis.

Real Salt Lake Terminates Contract of Head Coach Mike Petke

🗞 https://t.co/k0IVfOR1rB pic.twitter.com/qxzutLOmUy

— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) August 12, 2019

Juarez took control of the team immediately and slowly started implementing his own strategic nuances on the first team.

Juarez coached the final 15 games of the 2019 season on an interim basis and ended with 8 wins, 2 draws and 5 losses, including a 2-0 loss to the Seattle Sounders in the Western Conference Semifinals. The Sounders would go on and win the 2019 MLS Cup.

Freddy or not, here we come.

A story about the vacant head coaching position at @realsaltlake and what @TomCantHackett thinks will happen this off season.#RSL https://t.co/ufakb60gi0

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) October 30, 2019

Real Salt Lake continue to promote their employees, as opposed to hiring from outside. Juarez becomes the fourth head coach to be promoted from within since the inaugural RSL season in 2005.

Jason Kreis jumped straight from the pitch to the sideline following his playing career.

Jeff Cassar was as an assistant coach prior to taking over the head coaching duties.

Mike Petke was the head coach of the Real Monarchs, albeit for a very short time, before being appointed RSL head coach.