Minnesota United said Tuesday it will retain interim head coach Sean McAuley going into the 2024 MLS season.

The Loons said Monday new Chief Soccer Officer Khaled El-Ahmad will leave his current leadership roles at English club Barnsley on Dec. 15, and pending his visa situation, he is expected to start with MNUFC soon after Jan. 1.

At that point, El-Ahmad will proceed with finding a long-term solution at head coach at that time, the Pioneer Press understands. The Loons will then determine a candidate pool, conduct interviews and set out for a full-time hiring.

El-Ahmad and Loons CEO Shari Ballard have been discussion the club’s transition over the last month. In early November, Ballard told reporters that the club would have a head coach in place for the start of preseason in early January. It’s unclear when that person became McAuley.

McAuley will help provide a smoother transition for the first team. He had been manager Adrian Heath’s top assistant coach for the last five seasons and replaced Heath as interim head coach with two games to go in the 2023 season. MNUFC beat Los Angeles Galaxy 5-2 on Oct. 7, and with a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs on the line, lost 3-1 to Sporting Kansas City on Decision Day, Oct. 21.

Since the firing of Heath in early October, Ballard has been calling on McAuley to assist with roster decisions since the season ended, along with interim technical director Hank Stebbins and outgoing CSO Manny Lagos.

The Loons are also expected to retain assistant coaches Ian Fuller and Stew Kerr. When McAuley was elevated last season, MNUFC2 head coach Cameron Knowles became a temporary assistant coach. He might continue with that first-team role going forward, creating an opening for the Loons’ developmental team.

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