Carolina Panthers make Kristi Coleman the first woman to hold position of team president
For the first time in the Carolina Panthers’ 26-plus years, a woman holds the position of president for the NFL team.
Kristi Coleman has been promoted from Vice President and Chief Financial Officer to President, the team announced Tuesday morning. It was a number of changes owner David Tepper made within the executive leadership team of the Panthers and Charlotte FC.
In Dec. 2017, former Panthers owner Jerry Richardson made Tina Becker the team’s Chief Operating Officer once he stepped away from the franchise. Her responsibilities included that of a team president and she resigned six months later.
Nick Kelly, who was the Charlotte FC president, has been appointed chief executive officer of Tepper Sports and Entertainment in a newly created role.
Former Panthers president Tom Glick is stepping down to pursue other opportunities, the team said in a press release.
Joe LaBue will become president of Charlotte FC, and Nicole Tepper, David Tepper’s wife, was named chief administrative officer of Tepper Sports and Entertainment.
“Nick, Kristi, Joe, and Nicole are talented, passionate executives, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with them as we strengthen our organization and build winning teams for our fans,” David Tepper said in a press release. “We thank Tom for his many contributions to the organization and wish him and his family the best.”
What it means for Charlotte FC
As club president, Kelly was responsible for day-to-day operations for the Major League Soccer expansion team, which is less than a month out from its first match on Feb. 26. Kelly reported to Glick, who oversaw the team’s development in its earliest days, including the brand launch, between the expansion bid announcement in Dec. 2019 and Kelly’s arrival a year later. The latest restructuring at TSE likely means that a similar dynamic will unfold between Kelly and LaBue in which LaBue becomes the more public-facing representative for Charlotte FC while Kelly steps into a role similar to the one Glick previously held as president of Tepper Sports.
LaBue has been a longtime member of the TSE family. He’s been with the organization for a decade, beginning as a sales manager for the Panthers and most recently serving as vice president of ticket sales and services. Charlotte FC has touted big attendance goals for its inaugural season in 2022; the club is aiming to break a league attendance record during its first home match against the LA Galaxy on March 5 by hosting a crowd of more than 74,000 fans at Bank of America Stadium.
Kelly told reporters Monday that the club had exceeded 60,000 ticket sales for that game and had sold more than 20,000 season tickets. Kelly also reiterated that Charlotte FC remained “bullish” about averaging 30,000 fans for home matches. Tepper Sports leadership likely sees LaBue’s ticketing and sales background as adding value to a club focused on its Year 1 attendance goals.
Glick’s departure, however, means that Charlotte FC will lose his knowledge and experience launching a successful soccer club. Prior to Glick’s Panthers arrival, he was heavily involved on the business side of developing of City Football Group (CFG), which owns Premier League champions Manchester City FC and co-owns latest MLS Cup champions New York City FC. Glick served as president of NYCFC during the club’s launch in 2015.
“We’re very appreciative of the learnings we can take from Tom’s experience there and building that,” Kelly said Monday. “That’s probably why we are kind of where we are today.”
Charlotte FC will play its opening match in Washington D.C. against D.C. United later this month.
What it means for the Panthers
Coleman, who had been the Panthers’ chief financial officer since 2019, will now oversee day-to-day business operations for the team, assuming the role formerly held by Glick.
She will report to Kelly.
Glick had become the public face of the team any time a major business decision was announced. In January 2020, Glick’s role and duties were expanded when Tepper Sports & Entertainment was established, as he took on the lead role for company, which oversees both the Panthers and Charlotte FC.
Coleman, meanwhile, will focus on the Panthers. She has been with the Panthers since the 2014 season. She spent her first five years as the team’s director of finance, before becoming the CFO, and now team president.
This story was originally published February 1, 2022 at 11:32 AM.
