Long-time Union Academy leader named Charlotte FC technical director

Charlotte FC’s gain is Philadelphia Union’s loss.

Long-time Philadelphia Union Academy director Tommy Wilson has been named the technical director at Charlotte FC, ending his decade-long tenure overseeing one of the most celebrated youth academies in the United States.

“I have had an incredible 10-year journey with the Philadelphia Union,” Tommy Wilson stated in a news release. “I am immensely proud of what has been achieved and leave the Union as an organization that is synonymous with development and acknowledged as the leading club in North America for holistic player development. I thank the entire Union organization and look forward to this next step in my journey.”

Wilson came to the U.S. from his native Scotland in 2013 and oversaw the transition of the Union’s youth program into a full-fledged academy. He brought with him a track record working in various levels of the Scottish FA and at Rangers FC.

The Union joined the U.S. Soccer Development Academy in 2013-14 and created a second team to compete in the USL Championship in 2016 and more recently in MLS Next Pro. In recent years, Wilson has been more integrated with the first and second team after he was promoted from academy director to Director of Academy and Professional Development in 2021. Thirty-eight players who spent time in the academy went on to sign professional contracts during Wilson’s tenure.

“Tommy has done an incredible job during his time with the Union and was a crucial piece to our academy’s success,” Philadelphia Union Sporting Director Ernst Tanner stated in a news release. “Over the past two seasons, his newest role of overseeing not only the academy but the overall professional development of our club’s players has helped identify a number of significant players for our pro-player pathway, as well as solidify the club’s commitment to the development of youth in our pipeline. We are greatly appreciative of the work he has done here and wish him the best in Charlotte.”

Wilson will have an opportunity with Charlotte to oversee the technical aspects of the club from the academy to the first team. He’ll also be reunited with one of his former academy players in first team midfielder Ben Bender.

“We’re delighted to welcome Tommy to Charlotte FC as we continue to invest into the Club’s sporting infrastructure. Tommy will play a crucial role in implementing our core playing principles across the organization from our Academy through the First Team,” said Charlotte FC General Manager Zoran Krneta. “He brings to Charlotte a tremendous track record of developing players for the professional level and will be a valuable asset to our existing Academy and MLS Next Pro technical staffs as we aspire to become a leader of player development in the league.”

In addition to the Wilson hire, Charlotte FC announced the addition of Miles Joseph as associate head coach. Joseph was previously an assistant coach and interim head coach in Portland.