Sports Management faculty member Bret Myers, Ph.D. was recently featured in the Washington Post in a story about the increasing prominence of data analytics in international soccer.
He began thinking about analytics as benchwarmer for the Richmond Kickers. “All that time on the bench, wondering when I was going to go in,” Myers told the Post, “led me to think, ‘What is going through [the coach’s] head when he is trying to decide? Is it a reactive strategy to see how the game unfolds? Or does he have a plan going in?” He pursued this question, earning his Ph.D. and rising to roles as a consultant for Major League Soccer Cup Champions Toronto FC and a faculty member at Columbia University.
Due to innovators like Myers, the number of MLS teams relying on analytical experts has grown dramatically in recent years. Their data and analysis helps teams acquire top talent, mitigate risk, and increase performance.
