GM Steps Aside for Annapolis Blues FC; Will Continue on as Senior Advisor and Special Projects Liaison with the Club

ANNAPOLIS, MD  ( Dec. 5, 2025) --    Fred Matthes, the first General Manager and the first public hire in the history of Annapolis Blues steps aside into an advisory role, the team announced Friday.

Matthes will remain active with the Club, and will continue on working with ownership and on special projects that will come up in the future with both the USL2 and USLW League teams in the role of Senior Advisor - Special Projects Liaison.  He will also take on a small, minority ownership in the Club in the future. 

Matthes, who also runs a Soccer Consulting business, FM Professional Soccer Consulting,  played a pivotal role during  Annapolis Blues FC’s first three seasons of existence. He was hired in the late Summer of 2022, and during his tenure the franchise established NPSL, USL2 & USLW League records for the highest-attended matches in league history (11,171 in June 2024 in NPSL; 12,853 in USL2 & 7,298 in USLW in May 2025), and continuously matched high average attendance levels with professional Soccer teams all over the country at leagues two and three levels above them. On the pitch, Matthes saw two regular season NPSL Championships and one Conference Championship for the Men's team and one regular season Championship for the Women's team in their first year in USLW.  His other accomplishments off the pitch, included arranging a Training Center host location, scheduling all Team transportation, setting up the Ticketing platforms, creating the home and away schedules for matches while working with League administration for USL2/USLW and NPSL, working with a full-time staff based in Annapolis handling Sponsorship, Ticketing, Marketing, Broadcast, Operations, and heading up several Community projects that led the Club to be received favorably throughout the Chesapeake Region. 

“I’m incredibly proud of what we have built at Annapolis Blues FC, both on and off the pitch” Matthes said in a release issued by the team. “In just three years, we made history at the lower divisions in American Soccer by taking the ideas of Opportunity, Community and Equality and blending them all into an organization that represents Annapolis so well, and I’m incredibly grateful to our ownership group, led by Michael Hitchcock, our professional staff in all areas, our coaches & players, the people at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, and most importantly, our fans, whose passion and tremendous support from day one have helped to make the Blues so iconic in the Annapolis area and beyond."

"I am so impressed by our younger executives, led by my Assistant General Manager, Steven Hooper, who never backed down from any challenges and never accepted the premise as a Club that just because we were considered lower division Soccer, that we couldn't have a professional level product both on and off the pitch, and throughout the community that could also be envied nationwide."  

From Community Outreach, led by Devin Pugh, that gave us a year-round presence everywhere at events and continually working with local charities and organizations to our season ticket and new Membership initiatives led by Kaitlyn McComb, we have always been visible and accessible to all of our fans and supporters, no matter when." also adding, "Our Sponsorship levels are second to none at this level led by Steven and assisted by Luke Mueller, and our Team Merchandise, as handled by Kyle Cullen, has been a true hit and worn and seen by people everywhere, including on television on Soccer programs like CBS Golazo !" ... "And our "Navy of Interns", that join us each season that take on.a multitude of tasks with tireless enthusiasm and spirit throughout the season can always be counted on.  With the advent of our Women's team, and an American Soccer icon in Jim Gabarra joining us, one of those interns, Brooke Lewis, stepped up to take on multiple duties for the Team and Club."   At the Stadium, Phil Wrye, a veteran of almost 30 years in Minor League Baseball, led the Operations team at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium to assist with working with Bill Givens, Jon Gren, Damisi Price, and the entire team from the Naval Academy Athletic Association."

While having a background in several sports front offices, from the NBA's Washington Bullets, to almost two decades with D.C. United where he met Hitchcock, and where Matthes began at the outset of Major League Soccer (MLS) in 1995 after being a Volunteer with the 1994 World Cup in Washington, DC. Matthes had also helped to build other USL and NWSL Clubs such as Sacramento Republic FC, New Mexico United, Fresno FC, Washington Freedom and Spirit from the outset.  He also worked with North Carolina FC, North Carolina Courage, Virginia Beach City FC and consulted to several other Soccer clubs and Soccer business entities.  "When Hitch first spoke to me back in 2022, I wasn't really looking to take on another start up Club, but as talks continued on, he eventually said, "What I really need is an experienced General Manager, one that has done this before ..."  "Hitch can be pretty persuasive", claimed Matthes, and the role that was initially going to be for just a year, lasted three successful seasons. 

"It's been a pleasure working with Fred in the launch and the formative early years of the Annapolis Blues. Our philosophy is "Good People, Good Plan, Good Execution" and it all starts with good people.  Anyone who knows Fred, knows that he's an experienced, successful sports management professional but more importantly, he's a good person.  Look forward to enjoying a great Forward Brewing beer with Fred at the Blues Tailgate Parties in 2026 and continuing work together to grow the beautiful game in Annapolis" says Michael “Hitch” Hitchcock.  

On the pitch, the Blues have been led by Colin Herriot, now in his 4th season coming up in 2026, and was named as NPSL Coach of the Year in 2023, the Blues' Inaugural Season, when they won the Mid-Atlantic Regular season Championship in 2023 & 2024, and by Ashly Kennedy on the Women's side since 2025, where she immediately took the team to a Mid-Atlantic Championship and Conference Final and was named USLW Coach of the Year. "Working with Colin and Ashly has been a truly invigorating experience for me on the Team-side of the Club, and getting to know Colin from Year One as we began, he really set the tone for what the Annapolis Blues FC culture would ultimately become based around ... A professional atmosphere in all ways, and making the players proud to put on the shirt and play their hearts out for the Club, and for the Fans, and the City of Annapolis at all times."  I have been so proud to also see the development of all of the players that have grasped that 'Opportunity' to be seen at higher levels and make the most out of it"  

Annapolis Blues FC has already placed players on to MLS and USL Women's Premier League rosters in their short history.  

Matthes plans to continue staying active and involved with the Club beyond his new role, and will be a regular at Blues match Tailgates, in the stands, and talking with fans in Annapolis. "As I have been saying, I'm not really stepping down, just stepping aside, and look forward to watching Steven and Jim take the reins from here to continue building upon what we have accomplished thus far with this very special Soccer Club in the American Soccer Pyramid ... Let's Go Blues !"