MLS NEXT Pro announced on Thursday that Vancouver Whitecaps FC technical director Quinn Thompson was a finalist for MLS NEXT Pro Executive of the Year.
The award was given to Brian Crookham, general manager of Colorado Rapids 2, while New York Red Bulls II’s head of pro player pathway Tiger Fitzpatrick was the other finalist.
Thompson, the youngest technical director in MLS, has been integral in helping build the squad that went on a historic run for Vancouver Whitecaps FC in not only MLS play, but in winning a fourth consecutive TELUS Canadian Championship, and making the final of the Concacaf Champions Cup. Three different graduates from Whitecaps FC 2 (WFC) appeared in the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs for Whitecaps FC, including an assist from Rayan Elloumi in Round One, and a goal from Ali Ahmed in MLS Cup.
The first team has excelled with support from the pathway from the second team. This year alone, seven players from Whitecaps FC 2 (WFC2) made their MLS debuts, four players were signed to MLS contracts, four players recorded a goal or assist, and nine different players were signed to short-term agreements. In league play, WFC2 made the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs for a second straight year.
The Executive of the Year was chosen by a panel of MLS NEXT Pro League Office executives from nominations submitted by member Clubs, based on on-field performance and off-field impact.
