On Tuesday, I sat down for a candid conversation with Fresno FC General Manager Frank Yallop. Frank has an impressive CV as a former professional player and 16 years as a head coach in Major League Soccer, the Canadian national team, and most recently, ambitious USL side Phoenix Rising FC.
The role of GM is a new one to him, and I wanted to pick his brain regarding the process of starting a new club from scratch, especially in a market with an already successful amateur side.
I realize an eleven-minute interview isn’t ideal for most viewers, so here’s my questions and the time stamps for those that prefer to skip around:
- Why Fresno FC when the market has a successful amateur team? – [00:24]
- How is FFC gaining the support of Fresno Fuego fans? – [01:16]
- How are you enjoying your new role as general manager? – [02:10]
- Process from inception to now? – [03:09]
- What do the next few months look like? – [04:24]
- As GM, how much control with you have over the technical side of things, and what are you looking for as you look to hire a head coach? – [05:00]
- What USL teams are you using as a reference? – [06:07]
- What are the club’s ambitions? – [07:38]
- Who are the people involved with the club? [08:25]
- Importance of having the Fire Squad’s support? [09:11]
- Why should people care about Fresno FC? – [10:20]
