MLSSOCCER.com
Phil West, contributor
AUSTIN, Texas — Now that Austin FC have been officially announced and celebrated their entry into MLS, club leaders are already back to work ramping up to what figures to be one of the most scrutinized launches in MLS history.
Austin FC chairman and CEO Anthony Precourt became an investor-operator in MLS when he purchased the rights to Columbus Crew SC in 2013, and he delivered some notable firsts in his five years overseeing one of the league’s 10 original clubs.
In Austin, he’ll face the decidedly different challenge of building a franchise from the ground up — a challenge that he asserts he and his newly-assembled front office are up to meeting.
“We’re highly motivated,” Precourt said in an interview following Tuesday’s launch event. “We went through a very complex process over the last 18 months. It was very challenging on us, and for me personally. But we did it because we believe in this league. We’re long-term investors in this league. We believe in the city of Austin. It was worth it for me to go through the pain and agony of the last 18 months to get where we are today. We’ve got a super-bright future, and we’re really committed to making this successful.”
