CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (October 7, 2026) — Chattanooga Football Club announced today that Sebastian Giraldo, Ph.D. has been promoted from Sporting Director to Chief Sporting Officer.
Giraldo initially joined CFC in July 2024 as the Academy Director of Coaching before becoming the club's first-ever full-time technical director at the end of October 2024, overseeing both men's and women's teams and the structure of the club's academy. Giraldo was then promoted to sporting director in March 2025.
During Giraldo's tenure, CFC's men's professional team has finished in the top four of the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference table for consecutive years, including this season's club-record finish as the No. 2 seed in the conference. In 2025, the team was crowned 2025 Southeast Division champions. The Boys in Blue became the first independent club in the league to clinch a postseason berth in consecutive seasons and recorded the most points (56 points) and wins (15) of any independent team.
CFC Women made history in 2025 with a 8W-2L-1D record, a Southeast Conference and Regional Championship and progressed to the Women's Premier Soccer League's (WPSL) national semifinal and was named 2025 Organization of the Year in its division. In 2026, CFC Women finished with a 4W-1D-3L record in fifth place in a highly-competitive conference.
Under Giraldo's leadership, the club has appointed Richard Dixon and Majo Harispuru as head coaches to lead the men's and women's sides, respectively, and opened new player pathways to continue to build dynamic and successful teams.
Davis Grizzard, Chattanooga FC Primary Owner and Chairman of the Board, said: "We have been growing as a professional club since 2019 and joining the MLS NEXT Pro environment has ignited an ambitious fire in our club and our staff. Sebastian is the epitome of high performance that CFC aspires to be. Sebastian and I have worked tirelessly together for over two years, and I know he will continue to elevate us for everything to come in the landscape of soccer in the U.S. We are excited to keep him here in Chattanooga and know the success will continue at CFC."
Giraldo said: "It is an honor to become Chief Sporting Officer of Chattanooga Football Club, a historic club with a fearless ambition. Chattanooga has become my home, and my promise to our city and fans is that we will be relentless in pursuing our goals. We have achieved historic milestones, and we will not stop.
I owe everything to my family for their love and support. Thank you to Davis and the club for their trust, and to our staff, players and supporters for all we have achieved together. Together, we are much stronger than we are individually."
Alongside Chief Business Officer Chad Emerson, Giraldo will report directly to ownership, establishing a clear leadership structure on the business and sporting sides of the club.
