Real Salt Lake reaps reward of Checketts' gamble

The business of hiring coaches and general managers in professional sports is not an exact science, never has been and never will be. There are inherent risks with every hiring, a reason so many owners take the safe route and go with the most experienced and qualified candidate.

Then there's Dave Checketts, who threw conventional wisdom out the window last year with his Real Salt Lake house-cleaning project.

He gambled on a coach with no experience and a general manager in the legal industry to turn his struggling franchise around. Many scratched their heads wondering what he was doing, and even Checketts knew it was big risk. At the same time he always said he didn't mind taking chances on hardworking people with character.

It's been a bumpy ride virtually every step of the way, but Real Salt Lake's advancement into the Western Conference finals is further justification for Checketts' gamble.

"I'm not nearly self-confident enough to say I knew what I was doing," said Checketts. "But if you've been around pro sports long enough you can quickly pick up when someone has a fire in their stomach which can lead to success in their profession."

In MLS, there's a fine line between success and failure, but Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis and general manager Garth Lagerwey have elevated the franchise to new heights in less than a year and a half.

"We've made progress. If you talk about justifying someone's faith in you, you've got to do it over the long term. But have we delivered as much as we can? I would say 'yes,' but I would add we have two more steps to go," said Lagerwey, who was an associate for Latham & Watkins prior to being hired by Real Salt Lake.

Checketts first got to know Lagerwey when his firm handled the logistics of Checketts' sale of a portion of his St. Louis Blues franchise. Months later, with Checketts still searching for a replacement for departed general manager Steve Pastorino, Checketts inquired about Lagerwey's interest.

After all, Lagerwey understood the game quite well, having played goalkeeper for six years, and came highly recommended by RSL head coach Jason Kreis.

Checketts met with Lagerwey over lunch in Sun Valley, Idaho, for three hours last summer, and liked enough of what he heard to hand the reins to an individual with no MLS front office experience.

As for hiring Kreis, it seemed like an even bigger gamble. But to Checketts, having seen Kreis in action on and off the field since he became the franchise's first player in 2004, RSL's owner was confident in his decision.