Atlanta United on Monday announced that Atlanta United 2 head coach Stephen Glass will serve as interim head coach following the departure of Frank de Boer, effective immediately while the team begins a search for a permanent replacement. Academy director Tony Annan will take over as interim head coach of Atlanta United 2.
Glass holds a UEFA Pro coaching license. His staff will be comprised of holdovers Rob Valentino (assistant), Liam Curran (goalkeeping coach) and Jack Kimber (fitness coach), as well as Henry Apaloo (interim assistant) who has also been promoted from ATL UTD 2.
“Stephen not only has professional experience as a player at the highest levels of the sport, he is a proven leader and is well respected as a coach by his players and staff,” club president Darren Eales said in a statement. “We have great confidence that Stephen will re-energize the team and move the club in the right direction during this transition period.”
A Scotland native, Glass began his playing career at Aberdeen FC where he made more than 110 appearances and scored eight goals during five seasons. He moved to the English Premier League with Newcastle United in 1998-2001 and scored seven times in 42 appearances. He then spent two seasons in the English Championship with Watford before moving back to Scotland and appearing in 86 matches for Hibernian. He concluded his playing career with a stint in NASL as a member of the Carolina RailHawks in 2011. Overall, Glass made 380 professional league appearances, while also representing Scotland internationally.
Glass joined Atlanta United in August 2018 as a coach with the club's U-17 academy and was promoted to manager of USL Championship affiliate ATL UTD 2 in January 2019.
“I am honored to take over as interim head coach for the Atlanta United first team,” Glass said in a statement. “I am committed to continuing the hard work the team has done to establish itself as a top club in MLS, and to meeting the high standard expected of us both on and off the field. I look forward to quickly establishing a structure and rapport with the players as we prepare to return to play in our home market.”
