Chris Henderson joins Atlanta United as new sporting director

Former Inter Miami sporting director Chris Henderson has joined Atlanta United in the same role, multiple sources with direct knowledge of the move confirmed to eScored on Monday. Those sources requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about Henderson’s appointment.

The move is immediate, those sources said, with Atlanta sending a second-round 2026 MLS SuperDraft pick to Miami as compensation — Henderson was under contract at the club.

“Chris has experience building consistent, winning teams in this league and we’re thrilled to welcome him to the club as our new sporting director,” Atlanta United president and CEO Garth Lagerwey said in a statement confirming the news following eScored’s reporting.

“His illustrious career and vast experience was something we valued in this hiring process and he was someone who immediately rose to the top of our search. He understands all the nuances that MLS roster building brings and I’m excited to see him play a pivotal role in helping us bring that consistent winner to Atlanta.”

“I want to thank Arthur M. Blank and Garth Lagerwey for giving me the opportunity to come to Atlanta and I’m excited to begin this new journey in my career,” Henderson added.

“I’ve followed this club for a while now and the ambitions of the club, both on and off the pitch, are clear and that’s to compete for trophies every single season. I’m excited to get to work with Garth and to play a role in helping Atlanta United build on its history of success.”

United in Excellence.

Chris Henderson is #ATLUTD‘s new Chief Soccer Officer & Sporting Director 👏 pic.twitter.com/AAUS9uQdxP

— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) December 16, 2024

Henderson joined Inter Miami in 2021 and was at the club during the arrival of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets. The former U.S. men’s national team player is well-regarded within MLS and was in part responsible for some of Miami’s successes — a Leagues Cup triumph in 2023 and Supporters’ Shield championship just this season.

Henderson was also largely responsible for shepherding the club through the severe financial and roster penalties MLS imposed on it prior to his arrival after Miami violated the league’s roster regulations.

Despite all of this, his departure comes as no huge surprise, as his influence at the club had begun to erode. Miami restructured their sporting operations in June by signing former FC Barcelona executive Raul Sanllehi to be President of Soccer Operations, clouding Henderson’s role somewhat. In recent weeks, Miami’s ownership were lukewarm when asked about Henderson’s future and Sanllehi became the face of the sporting side, appearing at press conferences and quoted in press releases.

Henderson’s appointment in Atlanta reunites him with Lagerwey, whom Henderson worked alongside at the Seattle Sounders for six years, from 2016 until his departure from Miami in 2021. During Henderson’s tenure at Seattle, which began in 2008, the club were often dominant, winning a pair of MLS Cups and four U.S. Open Cups. In Atlanta, Henderson will replace outgoing technical director Carlos Bocanegra, who was fired in September.

Henderson has long been a familiar face in the world of American soccer. A World Cup veteran, Henderson was a key part of the USMNT in the early-to-mid 90s and enjoyed a successful club career as well, playing in Norway and Germany before playing for a host of MLS teams. Henderson retired in 2006.

(Marco Bello/AFP via Getty Images)