Samantha Johnson is the new general manager of the Brooklyn FC women's team, the club announced yesterday.
Johnson played in the NWSL for six seasons from 2014 through 2019 with Chicago Stars and Utah Royals, and also had stints in Australia's W-League with two different Melbourne-based clubs, Melbourne Victory and City Football Group-owned Melbourne City FC.
The 34-year-old former defender is a native of Palmdale, California. Since the end of her playing days, Johnson served as co-founder for a "private members club for athletes, artists, and entrepreneurs" called Cove Circle. No mention of any recent front-office or off-field experience directly in soccer was made in her hiring announcement.
The new general manager was quoted by BKFC as saying of the work ahead, "For me, success starts with establishing clear standards, a strong daily mentality, and a commitment to continuous development across every area of the club. We want to create an identity that is recognizable on and off the pitch—one built on professionalism, accountability, courage, and a relentless pursuit of excellence."
Johnson enters the Brooklyn sporting hierarchy a few weeks after the USL Super League club relieved former head coach Tomás Tengarrinha and former women's GM Kevin Tenjo of their duties. That clearing-out of the leadership of the women's team came after a disappointing 2025/26 Super League season in which Brooklyn finished outside the playoff places for a second straight season, 7th place in the nine-team league.
Andrew Leigh
Brian McBride is still in place as the overall general manager of both Brooklyn men's and women's teams. He said of Johnson's hiring, "Her experience competing at the highest levels of the women’s game, combined with her leadership qualities and understanding of player development, will be invaluable as we continue building a championship-caliber environment for our women’s team."
Next item on the agenda for McBride and Johnson looks to be hiring the next BKFC women's head coach, who will be the third person to hold that role in three seasons, following Jessica Silva during the inaugural 2024/25 campaign, plus Tengarrinha last season.
