Inter Miami announced on Thursday the hiring of Kurt Schmid as the team’s first technical director. The 10-year MLS coaching and scouting veteran, son of recently-departed legend Sigi Schmid, joins the expansion franchise after stints with the LA Galaxy and the Seattle Sounders.
In a move originally reported by The Athletic, Schmid will work directly with Inter sporting director Paul McDonough on “all soccer-related aspects of the first team and the academy,” with a specific focus on scouting local and international talent for the club.
“We are extremely happy to welcome Kurt to the Inter Miami family,” said McDonough in a club release. “His deep roots in the national soccer landscape, paired with his vast global scouting experience will be an invaluable component for our club and our technical staff.”
Kurt’s MLS career began in 2009 when he joined the Sounders in their expansion season as an assistant coach and scout on his father’s technical staff. The Sounders won four U.S. Open Cups, one Supporters’ Shield and the 2016 MLS Cup over his nine seasons with the club, during which time he was promoted first to head scout, then to director of player personnel.
In November of 2017 he followed his father to the Galaxy, taking up a role as Director of Player Personnel and Scouting, his most recent post before the Miami move.
A defender at Wake Forest and UCLA during his playing days, Schmid also worked as an assistant coach in college soccer with stints at UC Irvine and at Saint Mary’s College.
With plans underway for a soccer-specific stadium at Miami Freedom Park and a training facility and youth academy elsewhere in the Miami metropolitan area, Inter are preparing for a 2020 on-field launch.
