Pádraig Smith Named President of Colorado Rapids

This morning Kroenke Sports & Entertainment announced that Pádraig Smith was named President of the Colorado Rapids. His previous full title was Executive Vice President & General Manager. The President position has not been occupied since Tim Hinchey’s departure in July 2017.

Smith joined the club in 2015 having previously worked with Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI). He along with Wayne Brandt penned the Rapids Way Op-ed in the Denver Post in late 2017 to articulate a new vision for the club.

“Pádraig has led the club with great distinction over the past five years and has built a strong foundation on which we can continue to grow both on and off the field,” said Josh Kroenke, Vice Chairman of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment.

“He brings a level of expertise and leadership to the organization that is grounded in his extensive experiences in Europe and the U.S., and we believe he is the ideal person to help us achieve our goals as an organization, and in particular, our goal of bringing another MLS Cup to Colorado.”

Smith became the club’s top executive in January 2018. He’s overseen the technical side of the club as it ushered in a Moneyball-like approach. Robin Fraser was hired. They finished top of the Western Conference in the regular season in 2021.

They get a few more breaks in 2019 and 2022 and they’ve made the playoffs in four straight years. They’re closer to being that perennial playoff team than they were in 2015.

“This club and the community it represents mean so much to me and I am deeply honored to continue to lead this organization and such a talented group of people,” said Pádraig Smith.

“I am incredibly proud of the progress we have made over the past five years and I couldn’t be more positive about the future as we embark on the most exciting period in the organization’s history.”

The club’s approach isn’t without its faults and failures, but it’s better and there’s a foundation there that exists outside of Smith’s Irish noggin. It’s been realized at times. For all the fans’ frustrations with KSE, it’s a model that’s had more competitive seasons than non-competitive seasons.

He’s also taken advanced roles within the league, sitting on the Board of Governors and Project Strategy Committee. When someone from the Rapids is working along side the other power players in the league, it’s Smith. That’s got to make him even more qualified to be President, keeping his enemies and colleagues close. 

While Smith’s work was mainly on the technical side of the club, he was around and involved in most other aspects. He might have been selling season tickets, but I bet he knows the rough total right now. Given his finance background, this is a role that suits his now rounded experience.

It does beg the question, now that he’s President, does the Executive VP role still exist and if so who fills it. Very few club presidents in MLS also function as General Manager? How exactly is Smith’s day-to-day responsibilities changing? Could more staff on the technical side be on the way or is Fran Taylor taking a larger role on the technical side? Is this really just a promotion in title only?

Appoint some good up-and-coming people in the right roles, and momentum won’t be lost. And maybe those complaining that the club’s transfer policy has “Pádraig guys” and “Fraser guys” will be appeased for now.

Either way, Pádraig Smith is in position to continue to implement his vision for the club within their circumstances.