Bay FC general manager Rushton abruptly resigns

Halfway through her team’s inaugural season, Bay FC general manager Lucy Rushton has resigned, the team announced Monday evening.

Bay FC’s announcement, which came two days after a win over Angel City FC, did not specify why Rushton is leaving her post. Rushton and a team spokesperson reached Monday night declined to comment further.

Technical director Matt Potter will take over Rushton’s duties, serving as the team’s head of football and interim sporting director, the team announced.

Rushton was the architect of Bay’s 26-player roster, from the expansion and amateur drafts over the winter to the aggressive transfer signings of global stars Racheal Kundananji (from Madrid CFF for a record transfer fee) and Asisat Oshoala (from Barcelona FC).

“This has been one of the hardest decisions of my life, but I believe the right one for me right now,” Rushton said in the team’s announcement. “I am excited for and look forward to my next chapter.”

Fourteen games into the 26-game NWSL season, Bay FC is in 11th place in the 14-team league, but it is only two points behind seventh-place Chicago.

“We want to thank Lucy for her time with the club and building a roster of talented and skilled players from all over the world who are the best at what they do, as well as hiring a deep and high performing sporting staff,” team CEO Brady Stewart said in Bay FC’s announcement.

Potter, a former head coach of the Kansas City Current in 2022-23, joined Bay FC in December, focusing largely on scouting on player development.

Prior to joining Bay FC, Rushton worked in men’s soccer as the GM of D.C. United after stops with Atlanta United as an expansion team, as well as Reading and Watford earlier in her career.