Four years after FC Dallas hired Michael Hitchcock as general manager, the club not only announced his departure Tuesday but said it wouldn't replace him. The move is part of an organizational realignment that further delineates responsibilities between executives. Coach Schellas Hyndman will supervise the day-to-day operations, and a technical director will be hired to assist him with front office responsibilities. Hunt Sports Group president John Wagner, meanwhile, will continue to function in the same capacity – overseeing the business side of the club. "This was a decision that was made for the long-term interest of the club," said Hunt Sports Group chairman Clark Hunt. "I think it will help us on the soccer side. We are excited about the direction of the team." So is Hyndman, who has been with the team since June 2008 and now will have autonomy over personnel decisions. "I think for the first time there is a plan in place," Hyndman said. "It is a situation of getting the right people in the right places." Hitchcock did not immediately return a message left on his cellphone. Hitchcock, 36, was appointed general manager in 2005 after two seasons with the Los Angeles Galaxy, where he was vice president of sales. At the time, FC Dallas appeared to have an identity crisis. It was a year removed from shedding its old name, the Dallas Burn, and adopting its current one. It also had earned a reputation as a middling MLS franchise, having never finished first in its division or conference. Flash forward to the present, and not much has changed. While FC Dallas advanced to the playoffs in two seasons under Hitchcock's leadership, it failed to establish itself as a consistent winner and cycled through four coaches. During Hitchcock's tenure, the club compiled a 48-47-27 record. The outlook of the team became increasingly bleak early in the 2009 season, when FC Dallas plummeted in the standings. A midseason makeover of the roster helped engineer a turnaround that included a late-season push for the playoffs. "And Schellas was the driving force," Hunt said. A season-ending loss at Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday ended those playoff hopes, and FC Dallas finished seventh in the eight-team Western Conference. That hasn't crushed Hyndman's optimism going forward. In fact, the team will continue to practice this week even though there are no matches left on the schedule. "I think we're making great progress on the business side and on the field," Hyndman said. "Our job now is to identify the right players and get the results we deserve."
