San Diego Wave poaches Leeds United executive Morrie Eisenberg as new CEO

NWSL team San Diego Wave have poached Leeds United’s chief business officer Morrie Eisenberg to be its new chief executive officer.

Eisenberg, who joined Premier League club Leeds as chief operating officer in October 2023, is credited internally with leading the push on its stadium redevelopment at Elland Road, which gained full planning permission earlier this year.

During Eisenberg’s time at the club, Leeds secured promotion back to the Premier League and, after his promotion last May, avoided relegation this season to maintain their place in English football’s top flight.

Eisenberg will begin his new role at the Wave in August, having previously held leadership positions at LinkedIn, Tesla and with the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL. He remained as a senior advisor to 49ers Enterprises while working at Leeds, with the two teams sharing the same ownership.

An announcement will be made by the two teams later on Wednesday.

In a statement, San Diego Wave governor Lauren Leichtman welcomed Eisenberg as a “transformative leader.”

“His vision, collaborative leadership style and commitment to building world-class organizations make him the ideal person to lead this club into its next chapter,” she added.

Eisenberg said: “The Wave has already established itself as a global brand with an exceptional fan base, ambitious vision and strong foundation. I’m excited to work alongside the players, staff, supporters and community to continue building a club that sets the standard on and off the pitch.”

Leeds United managing director Robbie Evans added: “While I am disappointed to see Morrie leave, I am grateful for his effort and impact over the last three years. Much as with players, when you employ excellent people who produce excellent results, sometimes the unfortunate effect is that they will attract interest elsewhere.

“Morrie and I first met three years ago in discussing if we should leave our old lives behind to try and help Leeds United return to its rightful place in English football. Three seasons later, he leaves with the club on an excellent trajectory. I hope Morrie is especially proud of his tireless work on the stadium expansion, which will benefit the club, supporters, and the community for generations to come.

“Morrie and his wonderful family depart with the best wishes of the club. He is welcome anytime if he tires of California sunshine and misses the Yorkshire weather!”

The Wave is building influence

Analysis by soccer writer Asli Pelit 

Lauren Leichtman, the first woman to become a billionaire from private equity, bought the Wave from billionaire businessman Ron Burkle for a record $120 million in 2024. Less than three years earlier, Burkle bought the franchise for $2m. Leichtman’s arrival in the NWSL marked the entry of institutional-caliber capital from one of private equity’s most accomplished operators.

Through Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, which manages more than $12bn in assets, Leichtman brought a new level of financial sophistication to women’s soccer just as franchise valuations, sponsorship revenue and infrastructure spending across the NWSL continue to surge.

The acquisition also underscored the increasing importance of relationships in women’s soccer. Former Wave president and ex-USWNT coach Jill Ellis played a pivotal role in connecting the parties, leveraging a relationship with Leichtman that dates back two decades to UCLA. Though Ellis’ exit to join FIFA was quite contentious.

Bringing USWNT legend Alex Morgan into the ownership group only deepened the club’s alignment between business credibility and player influence, a growing trend across the NWSL’s new ownership era.

Having only launched in 2022, the Wave have never won the NWSL Championship, though they did capture the 2023 NWSL Shield after finishing with the league’s best regular-season record and added the 2024 Challenge Cup to the trophy case.

In just a few seasons, the Wave have packed stadiums, landed superstar talent, shattered franchise valuation records and behaved like an established giant; the only thing still missing is the championship confetti.

The Wave are navigating a transitional 2026 season, balancing strong results with clear growing pains both on and off the field. Under second-year head coach Jonas Eidevall, San Diego remains in the playoff run, consistently hovering around the league’s top four to six spots, but performances have often highlighted unresolved issues within the squad. The club is still searching for consistency, but the potential arrival of USWNT star Catarina Macario after the summer break could significantly raise the team’s ceiling and strengthen their chances of bringing home a trophy this season.

Eisenberg is coming to Wave after his stint with one of the most successful American ownership groups, the 49ers Enterprises, the investment arm linked to the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers, which completed a full takeover of the club in 2023 after first purchasing a minority stake five years earlier. Led by chairman Paraag Marathe and backed by the York family, the ownership group has reshaped Leeds with an American-style approach centered on commercial expansion, infrastructure investment and data-driven operations.