The Red Stars and principal owner Laura Ricketts have taken another step in the franchise’s overhaul with the hiring of former chief legal officer of the U.S. Soccer Federation, Karen Leetzow.
“Karen is a committed advocate for women in sports and her work with the U.S. Soccer Federation leadership team to create a new culture is beyond compare,” said Ricketts in a statement.
Leetzow was hired by U.S. Soccer in 2020 and oversaw the independent investigation — conducted by former U.S. Justice Department official Sally Q. Yates — into systemic abuse and sexual misconduct that permeated the NWSL. She also contributed to the negotiations that led to the landmark equal pay agreement for the U.S. Women’s National team.
Prior to her tenure with U.S. Soccer, Leetzow spent 20 years at NASCAR and was the first woman to serve as general counsel.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to join Laura Ricketts and her group of accomplished women business and civic leaders in changing the culture at the Chicago Red Stars and to build a championship organization on and off the pitch,” Leetzow said in a statement. “I look forward to working with every team member in the business and technical staff of the Red Stars to achieve Laura’s goal of creating a championship culture of excellence and accountability.”
The move was announced by the club in a press release and comes following its dismissal of Chris Petrucelli as coach in October. Petrucelli was hired last February after former coach Rory Dames resigned in the midst of reports of abusive behavior, which were later corroborated in Yates’ report. Dames received a lifetime ban from the NWSL in January.
A new coach and general manager remain at the top of the Red Stars' list of necessary hires as free agency officially opened Sept. 22, and the expansion draft is scheduled for Dec. 16.
The Red Stars currently have nine free agents, including Tierna Davidson — who the team drafted with the No. 1 overall pick in 2019 — Mallory Swanson and Casey Krueger. All three players are unrestricted.
Players can begin signing new contracts on Monday.
