Robert McCunn appointed Director of Performance at Las Vegas Lights FC
- McCunn is a highly qualified senior practitioner who was most recently Head of Performance at Scottish Premiership side Heart of Midlothian FC
We’re delighted to announce that Dr. Robert McCunn has joined Las Vegas Lights FC as Director of Performance. McCunn was appointed following an international headhunt by Football Careers.
The Las Vegas Lights play in the Western Conference of the USL Championship. Since being acquired by MLB all-star José Bautista in 2024, the club has gone from strength to strength, reaching the playoffs for the first time in its history and advancing to the 2024 Western Conference Final.
As part of its growth, Las Vegas Lights sought to recruit a new Director of Performance. Football Careers was retained by the club to find an experienced senior practitioner with a track record of delivering high-quality performance in elite-level sport.
A global search produced a strong candidate shortlist, with Dr. Robert McCunn ultimately being selected by the club after a thorough interview process.
McCunn holds a PhD in Sports Medicine from Germany’s Saarland University, and previously completed an MSc in Sports Science at the University of Glasgow. He has continued his professional development by attaining an Executive Global Master’s in Management and a UEFA B Fitness Diploma.
The skilled practitioner began his career at Heart of Midlothian FC in 2012, working with the U11 to U17 squads as an Academy Sports Scientist. In 2017, McCunn took up a Performance Sport Manager position with Edinburgh-based Oriam, Scotland’s national performance centre for sport.
An exciting opportunity with the Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Club brought McCunn to Australia in 2019, where he spent a year serving as the team’s Sports Scientist. In 2020, McCunn returned to Scotland and rejoined his former club Hearts as Head of Performance, overseeing the department for more than five years.
Now, Robert will bring his extensive knowledge and expertise to Las Vegas Lights.
Gianleonardo Neglia, Sporting Director at Las Vegas Lights FC, commented:
“Las Vegas Lights needed to hire a Director of Performance. We had been going through our own internal process for a few months, but weren’t getting the desired results or candidates. We decided to secure Football Careers’ services to aid us in hiring for this position.
“The entire process was smooth, seamless, and efficient. Communication was precise, timelines were followed, and the quality of candidates was significantly better than what we were finding on our own. With the assistance of Football Careers, we landed on a candidate whom we absolutely love.
“Robert has been a fantastic addition to the group. We are thrilled to have him on board and couldn’t be happier with how the recruitment campaign played out.
“I would highly recommend Football Careers to any club that is looking to hire high-level executives for their club. Their contact list is very deep and they are very knowledgeable in the space. I will absolutely use them again to fill future positions.”
We look forward to seeing what Robert and Las Vegas Lights will achieve together, and we wish them the very best for the coming seasons.
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