Staff

Andrew Haines

Co-Owner/President & Executive Board Member

Andrew Haines, a Sports Executive, Entrepreneur and marketing guru is currently president of HSE, a sports & entertainment marketing, and consulting company. For the past several years, HSE has worked with professional sports teams in soccer, arena football, baseball, as well as properties within the sports & entertainment industry. Andrew was also the VP of sales for the Fredericksburg Nationals baseball team until August 2020.

Andrew has served as General Manager, CEO, and Owner in the Major Arena Soccer League since 2012 until 2020. Most recently, Andrew was General Manager of the Orlando SeaWolves in the MASL. From 2015-2018, he owned and operated Central Florida Sports Ventures which owned Florida Tropics SC (indoor soccer), and Lakeland Tropics (outdoor soccer).

During 2012-2015, Andrew led STL Sports Ventures which owned and operated both the St. Louis Ambush (indoor soccer) and St. Louis Attack (arena football). Prior to 2012, Andrew has owned and operated several minor league sports teams, and leagues since 2001.

Outside of sport, Andrew has his Florida 2-20 Insurance License, along with Florida 2-14 Life Insurance License. In addition to insurance, Andrew is a licensed Real Estate Agent in Florida.

Andrew has always been committed to the community, having volunteers with dozens of non-profit organizations and at community events. He has also served on the board of Habitat for Humanity, Junior Achievement, Urban League, and the City-County Library Foundation.

With over 17 years of sales, marketing, and management experience within professional sports, Andrew had led some of the best front office staffs.

Awarded Top 50 in Business (St. Louis, MO), Best of the Best award from Street Scape Magazine in 2014.

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Michael Taylor

Co-Owner & Executive Board Member

Michael Taylor's longevity in professional sports is matched only by his success. Most recently Michael was the owner of the Florida Tarpons arena football team from 2012-2020. For the last eight years, his Florida Tarpons have played in five league championship games, winning two, including titles in 2013 – and in 2015.

His history goes back all the way to the early 2000s, with the San Angelo Texas, an expansion team in 2004 in the Intense Football League which earned a playoff berth in their inaugural season. The year following, as President of the Richmond Bandits in the Atlantic Indoor Football League, the Bandits won that league's championship, going 11-1, in their expansion season.

Specializing in development of expansion franchises Taylor was VP of the Fairbanks Grizzlies in Alaska in 2008.

Born and currently living in the greater Tampa area, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Sports Coaching Degree from the United States Sports Academy, and graduated high school from Hollow Rock Bruceton Central High School in Tennessee.

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Brian Roth

Special Consultant to the Executive Board

Brian Roth was born and raised in Chester, IL, which is best known as the birth place of the popular cartoon, “Popeye The Sailorman”, and received his college degree in Recreation Management from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, MO.

Roth has worked full-time in professional soccer from 2007-2020, both in Major League Soccer and in Pro Indoor Soccer, most recently serving as the General Manager of the St. Louis Ambush of the Major Arena Soccer League.

In his final year at SEMO in 2000, Roth would intern with the original St. Louis Ambush at the Enterprise Center (then named Kiel Center) and that internship carried over into a full-time Sales/Marketing position with the club.

In the summer of 2000, after the Ambush lease at Kiel Center was terminated, and the franchised ceased operations, Brian entered into his college field of Recreation and became the Director of Leagues/Fitness for the City of Perryville, MO at their $10 million Perry Park Center, a multi-purpose community recreation center that had just opened.

Roth stayed involved in Professional Soccer during his time in Perryville, MO and did sales on the side for the St. Louis Steamers from 2004-2006 when the team played downtown at the Enterprise Center (then named Savvis Center).

In 2007, the Kansas City Wizards of Major League came calling and Brian then took a Sales Executive position with the franchise and was the team’s Top Ticket Sales rep for the three years he worked for the team.

Following the KC Wizards historic upset win over powerful Manchester United at Arrowhead Stadium in front of more than 52,000 fans, in July 2010, Roth then took an opportunity to help bring back pro indoor soccer to Kansas City, as he became the Ticket Sales Manager for the KC Comets. He remained in that role for three seasons, as well as that same position for FC Kansas City of the National Women’s Soccer League, as the same staff operated both the Comets and FC KC.

In June of 2013, Roth, a lifetime supporter of St. Louis Soccer, was able to move back to the St. Louis area and help Andrew Haines revive the St. Louis Ambush and pro indoor soccer in the Gateway City. After started as the Assistant GM, Haines promoted Roth to General Manager in January 2016 and he remained in that position through the 2019-20 season.

Roth then started a new career as the Director of Fundraising for popular St. Louis pizza company, Andoro and Son’s Pizza, who was a previous sponsor of the Ambush from 2015-2018. In his current position, he deals with many of the same groups he dealt with while working for the Ambush for seven seasons.

Brian currently resides in Valley Park, MO, right in the heart of St. Louis County. In his spare time, he can be found playing indoor soccer three nights a week at the Vetta Sports location in St. Charles, MO. Roth is also a current member of the SEMO Redhawks Booster Club (The Redhawks Club) and an avid fan of all of SEMO’s Athletic Teams.

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Corey Adamson

General Manager/Head Coach

Corey Adamson, a native of Clearwater, Florida, will be making Memphis home this Fall, along with his wife Melissa, a Clinical Dietitian. Corey will serve as both the Player-Head Coach of the Americans, as well as the team’s General Manager.

Adamson is a 10 year pro, having spent the majority of his career for the Saint Louis Ambush, but has also played for the Las Vegas Legends, Milwaukee Wave, Cedar Rapids Rampage, and the Orlando Seawolves, where he served a dual role as Player/Assistant Coach.

Adamson also has an extensive background off the field, owning multiple businesses in both real estate and athletic training, and has spent spent the past decade in a wide range of positions in the soccer community.

After graduating from the University of South Carolina-Aiken with degrees in Political Science and Business Management, Corey began his coaching career as an Assistant Coach for his former college. He later served as the Camp and Tournament Director for Panathanaikos A.C. STL, and formerly the Director of Coaching, and Club Director for Juventus Academy Saint Louis. In addition, Corey also runs his own camps, clinics, and group trainings, and also coaches multiple youth teams.

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Christopher Lorenzo

Manager, Front Office Operations

Christopher G. Lorenzo, a native of Miami, Florida, he is a former collegiate athlete that recently earned his MBA, with a concentration in Sports Administration, with high honors, from St. Thomas University.

Chris is currently completing his Masters in Sports Industry Management at Georgetown University. Prior to joining the Memphis Americans, Chris worked for Major League Soccer’s InterMiami CF in its Community Engagement department and with the Tiburones de la Guaira, a leading Venezuelan professional baseball team, in their front office.

Chris is Cuban-American and fluent in Spanish.

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Donald Bunney

Creative Director

Donald’s love for design started at 9 years old, designing uniforms and shoes for NBA teams. In high school, that progressed to doodling logos for pro wrestlers, bands, athletic teams, and the like. Cut to several years later, he pursued a degree in education and became a teacher.

Admittedly, he still got to play with colors and shapes, but he realized he needed to change course. In pursuit of his true passion, Donald went back to school to study design and started freelancing. That path quickly led to diving head-first into starting his own shop and becoming a full-service branding agency. He is now the Owner & Design Director of Egghead Creative.

Family is at the heart of everything he does and has helped him become the man he is today. By his side are his three amazing children and incredible wife. He’s kind of a nerd. And his head is also kind of shaped like an egg.

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Glenn Freeman

Director of Community and Corporate Sponsorships

Glenn was born and raised in Memphis Tennessee where he grew up watching the former Memphis Americans play in the 80 s at the Mid-South Coliseum. He has over 20 years experience in the Media and Promotions industry where he’s assisted in promoting some of the regions largest and most prominent events.

He enjoys playing golf and aids multiple charities.

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Amanda Gillis

Coordinator, Sales & Community Engagement

Amanda Gillis is a native of Clayton, North Carolina and a graduate of Corinth Holders High School. She graduated from Guilford College this past May with a BS degree in Sports Management. Amanda was a member of the Guilford College softball team. She spent the summer working at the Ripken Experience Myrtle Beach as baseball operations.

Amanda has intern experience working with the High Point Rockers & The Ripken Experience. She is excited to work with the Americans organization.

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Brandon McCann

Coordinator, Sales & Service

Brandon McCann is a native of Hope Mills, North Carolina, and a graduate of South View High School. He is currently finishing up his undergraduate degree in Exercise and Sports Science, with a concentration in Sports Administration at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Brandon has also recently spent time with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers Minor League baseball team.

Hal Downing

Special Advisor to Co-Owner/President Andrew Haines

Mr. Downing is entering his 35th year in the financial services industry where he has produced over $3B Billion in capital raised for a variety of financial entities. His background in the mutual fund, annuities, managed money, and retirement plans fields with giants in the industry like Traveler's Portfolio Group, New England Funds, Sun America Mutual Funds, AIM Mutual Funds, and Prudential-Bache Securities has provided him with a unique and all encompassing advantage when approaching the challenges facing high net worth clientele in today's marketplace. This is also appreciated by the Broker-Dealer community he has diligently served with great passion and enthusiasm.

Hal began his career in the Real Estate field with the prestigious Fogelman Properties Group and was responsible for both public and private placement investment programs, and multi-family development and management. Additionally, he held Sr. level positions with Alco Properties and Bascom Realty as a Real Estate Broker and member of the NAR Land Institute. These experiences provided Mr. Downing with a breadth and depth of capital formation ranging from raw land development to commercial, residential, and multi-family construction and sales.

Hal studied Business and Finance at the Fogelman College of Business and Economics at the University of Memphis and holds licenses in Securities, Real Estate, and Insurance industries with an impeccably clean record of performance and integrity.

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