NFL
By Keith Richards
Earlier this year, on January 30th, the NWSL announced that it would award its 16th franchise. Behind investors like Rob Cohen (controlling owner), Molly Coors, and alpine skiing legend Mikaela Shiffrin, excitement for Denver NWSL continues to grow consistently. On Thursday, Denver NSWL announced they had found their general manager: Curt Johnson.
Curt Johnson is one of the most successful U.S. soccer executives to date. He brings over 25 years of experience to Denver NWSL. If you’re starting a new franchise, you want someone like Curt Johnson leading your operations. Curt’s job begins immediately for the club, which will play its first match in 2026.
Regarding Curt Johnson, controlling owner Rob Cohen states, “We’re incredibly pleased to welcome Curt to Denver NWSL.” Cohen continues, “He brings championship-level experience, a collaborative spirit, and a clear passion for growing the game. He’s been a part of building some of the most successful organizations in our sport, and we’re thrilled to have him shaping the future of our club.” So, what is the experience and success that Curt Johnson brings?
Johnson’s career began his executive career as the Vice President of Operations and General Manager of the Richmond Kickers. In 1998, Curt helped the Kickers win the Atlantic Division. Consequently, Curt Johnson starts to appear on the radar of bigger fish. After three years with the Richmond Kickers, Lamar Hunt and Clark Hunt would tap Johnson as the MLS club Kansas City Wizards’ general manager.
Indeed, the Hunts’ hiring of Curt was a great move. In his first season as general manager, the Wizards won the MLS Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup. However, the club will cool a little. Before leaving Kansas City in 2006, though, Curt was instrumental in helping rebuild the club to the point of lifting the 2004 U.S. Open Cup. Between 2006 and 2011, Johnson served as the Director of Marketing for the Carolina Hurricanes and Senior Vice President for US Club Soccer.
In 2011, Curt Johnson returned to an executive role in soccer. Curt’s new executive would be as the President of the Carolina RailHawks, which are now known as North Carolina FC. Once again, Johnson’s genius was immediately beneficial. North Carolina FC won the NASL league title in Curt Johnson’s first season as president.
Additionally, between 2012 and 2014, North Carolina beat five MLS clubs in the U.S. Open Cup, reaching the quarterfinals in 2012 and 2014. Johnson’s success with the NASL club led their owner, Stephen Malik, to have considerable trust in his executive chops. Hence, when the NWSL announced the addition of the North Carolina Courage to their league in 2017, Curt Johnson was Malik’s obvious choice.
Johnson would serve as the president and general manager of the North Carolina Courage. In 2017, Curt helped lead both clubs to the postseason, and in 2018 and 2019, Curt Johson helped the Courage win the NWSL title. Unfortunately, Johnson was still the general manager of the North Carolina Courage during the 2021 NWSL sexual harassment scandal. That scandal saw five head coaches resign or be fired, including Paul Riley of the Courage.
Under Curt Johnson, the North Carolina Courage won the NWSL Challenge Cup in 2022 and 2023. 2022 was the only season the Courage did not make the playoffs with Curt as president and general manager. Now, Johnson will become the first general manager of Denver NWSL. As I stated before, the excitement for Denver NWSL is high. Therefore, Curt Johnson has his work cut out for him.
In April, Denver NWSL broke the record for NWSL with over 10,000 deposits for season tickets, managing the feat in only two months. Soon after, Denver NWSL announced its plan to build a state-of-the-art performance center and temporary stadium on 43 acres in Centennial, CO. There will be eight soccer fields on those 43 acres, which include the 12,000-seat temporary stadium. Denver NWSL will play there for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
Thus, it will be up to Curt Johnson to help build a club that meets the expectations of the over 10,000 season ticket holders. Furthermore, the club must justify the $70 million investment from the City of Denver. While the investment passed by a vote of 11-1 on the council, it has not been as well received by everyone publicly.
If Curt Johnson’s previous executive roles in soccer are any indication, Denver NWSL is in good hands. First, the club still must choose an official name. Once that’s done, Curt Johnson must choose his coach and help build the squad. As all of that happens, Team NBS will be here to guide you through it all.
