Cameron Knowles was named head coach of Minnesota United on Monday, the same day preseason training opened in Blaine for the club’s 10th season in MLS
The Loons staff member since 2021 will succeed Eric Ramsay, who officially left to be the head coach at West Bromwich Albion in England on Sunday. Knowles becomes the club’s third full-time head coach since joining the league in 2017.
Minnesota United’s Chief Soccer Officer Khaled El-Ahmad hired Ramsay two years ago and has now promoted Knowles. It’s unclear how extensive the search and hiring process was for the position. Reports of Ramsay heading back to the U.K. first surfaced on Thursday.
“Cameron is the right leader for this moment in our club’s journey,” El-Ahmad said in a statement. “He has grown with this organization, understands our players, our culture, and our standards, and has consistently demonstrated the ability to develop people, build strong teams, and compete at a high level. We believe in Cameron, we believe in this squad, and we are excited about the future we are building together.”
With fellow assistant Dennis Lawrence also off to West Brom and Knowles elevated, that leaves at least two assistant coach spots vacant. The Loons are in the process of hiring for those roles, a source said.
In the Knowles announcement, he thanked club owner Bill McGuire, CEO Shari Ballard and El-Ahmad “for the incredible opportunity to lead this team.
“Minnesota United is a fantastic organization with a strong group of players and a loyal following,” Knowles continued in the statement. “I hope to build on the success the club has achieved over the years.”
Knowles was an assistant under Ramsay for the previous two seasons and was the interim head coach for three games before Ramsay arrived at the start of the 2024 season. The Loons went 2-0-1 under his leadership.
Knowles was the head coach of MNUFC2, the team’s developmental team in MLS Next Pro in 2022-23. He went 19-20-13. Before that he was a video analyst. He was an assistant with the Portland Timbers from 2012-21.
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