St. Louis CITY SC hire Corey Wray as sporting director | OneFootball

By MLSsoccer staff

St. Louis CITY SC have named Corey Wray as their sporting director, the club announced Monday.

Wray joins CITY as the club's second-ever sporting director and replaces Lutz Pfannenstiel, with whom the club parted ways in August.

Wray brings significant MLS experience to St. Louis, having previously worked in technical roles with three different MLS clubs. Most recently, he served as director of soccer for CF Montréal. Before that, he was an assistant GM with Toronto FC and the Columbus Crew.

His resume includes three MLS Cup titles, a Supporters’ Shield and seven Canadian Championships. He was also named MLS NEXT Pro Executive of the Year in 2022 while with Columbus.

"Corey is a progressive sporting director who brings a forward-thinking, holistic approach to building winning teams," said president and general manager Diego Gigliani.

"His extensive knowledge of the MLS landscape, deep squad building and recruiting expertise, and proven track record in creating high-performing, sustainable organizations and cultures makes him an ideal fit for the club. He will make us stronger by building upon our existing foundation and working collaboratively with our sporting team to improve in every aspect of our operations."

New chapter

After a stellar expansion season in 2023, where they collected 56 points and earned the Western Conference No. 1 seed, St. Louis have struggled to replicate their first-year form, missing the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in each of the next two seasons.

In 2025, CITY finished 13th in the West (32 points). The difficult season also saw first-year head coach Olof Mellberg let go, with David Critchley taking over on an interim basis. St. Louis have yet to name a full-time replacement at head coach.

Key returners for St. Louis include goalkeeper Roman Bürki, who recently signed a contract extension, as well as DPs João Klauss and Marcel Hartel.

"I’m honored to join St. Louis CITY SC and be part of a city that is so ingrained with soccer history in this country," said Wray. "The vision and ambition here from the fans and the ownership group are clear, and that is to build a winning and competitive team rooted in development, innovation, and community.

"I can’t wait to work with the incredible staff, players, and fans to continue building a club that represents the very best of this city, both on and off the field."

"I’d also like to thank the ownership group and Diego for entrusting me with this important role," continued Wray. "I’ve been so impressed with the process and look forward to making an impact."