Anthony Precourt Named CEO of the Year by Austin Business Journal

Austin Business Journal named Austin FC founder, majority owner and CEO Anthony Precourt CEO of the Year in its CEO of the Year Awards. The award recognizes Central Texas CEOs who have demonstrated innovation, outstanding performance and a significant track record of leadership in philanthropy, civics or politics.

Precourt accepted the award on Oct. 6 at the Fairmont Hotel in downtown Austin and will be featured in a special edition of Austin Business Magazine.

“In building Austin FC from the ground up, we’ve been focused on collaboration. Culture is king, and building a thoughtful and thorough club/company culture is critical,” Precourt said. “Success doesn’t come overnight, but we believe that through our recruitment practices and operations across the club’s commercial and sporting side, we have laid the foundation for long-term success.”

Precourt initiated and led all planning efforts to introduce Austin to its first major league team, played a key role in negotiating and finalizing a historic lease and development agreement with the City of Austin for the 24-acre site where Q2 Stadium now sits effect. Austin FC’s expanded club franchise agreement with Major League Soccer.

Q2 Stadium (a 100% privately funded $260 million state-of-the-art soccer-only stadium located near The Domain in Austin) and St. David’s Performance Center, Austin FC’s privately funded $45 million training ground, is located just a short distance from Q2 Stadium. Seven (7) miles, built under Precourt. Austin FC eventually secured six (6) founding partners for its 2021 inaugural season: YETI, Q2, St. David’s Healthcare, Diageo, PointsBet and Netspend.

In 2021, Austin FC is the only MLS club to sell out 100% of its home games and holds the league’s longest sell-out streak with 33 consecutive games. Tickets for Austin FC’s inaugural playoff game — the first major league professional playoff game in the city’s history — sold out in less than six (6) minutes.

In its first season in MLS, Austin FC led the league in merchandise sales and ranked second in sponsorship sales, successes that culminated in the club being nominated for the Sports Business Journal Sports Team of the Year award.

Precourt has hired sporting director Claudio Reyna and head coach Josh Wolff, who also lead the club to success on the pitch. Austin FC is second in the 2022 MLS Western Conference, securing home-court advantage in the first two (2) rounds of the playoffs. The team’s 24-point improvement from its first season to its second was the second-largest improvement of its kind in league history.



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