ATLANTA - Atlanta United has announced that Ronny Deila has been named the club's new head coach. With over 17 years of head coaching experience across multiple countries and six trophies to his name, Deila reportedly brings a wealth of expertise and a winning pedigree to the role. His contract will run through the 2027 MLS season, and he will report directly to Atlanta United President and CEO Garth Lagerwey, according to the club.
Deila began his coaching career in 2008 with Norwegian club Strømsgodset, where he managed 206 matches over six years. During his tenure, he led the team to win the Norwegian Cup in 2010 and the league title in 2013 -- their first in 43 years.
He moved to Celtic in the Scottish Premiership in 2014, where he guided the team to consecutive league titles in 2015 and 2016, as well as the 2015 Scottish League Cup. In his two seasons at Celtic, Deila managed 118 matches, with an impressive 2.12 points per match.
Deila returned to Norway in 2016 as head coach of Vålerenga before joining MLS as the head coach of New York City FC in 2020. At NYCFC, he led the team to the MLS Cup title in 2021, achieving a 46-29-15 record during his two-and-a-half-year stint.
Following his MLS success, Deila managed Standard Liege in Belgium, achieving a sixth-place finish, and later joined Club Brugge, where he posted a record of 28-10-11. Most recently, he coached Al-Wahda in the UAE Pro League.
"I want to thank Arthur M. Blank and Garth Lagerwey for this opportunity and couldn't be more excited to join Atlanta United," Deila said. "This is a club with great ownership, excellent facilities, and the ambition to succeed and continue to drive the league forward. I'm happy to return to MLS, a competitive league that I enjoy, and I'm eager to arrive and get to work with our group of players."
Before his coaching career, Deila enjoyed a 20-year playing career in Norway, making 352 professional appearances and scoring 32 goals as a defender. The majority of his career was spent at Odds BK, with stints at Viking and Strømsgodset, where he transitioned into a player-coach role.