Toronto FC announced today that the club has appointed Sean Rubio as its Technical Director. Rubio will be responsible for managing the infrastructure and operation of the club's scouting department, in addition to working closely with General Manager Jason Hernandez on the strategy and execution of player acquisitions across the First Team and Toronto FC II.
“We are excited to welcome Sean Rubio to our front office team as the new Technical Director,” said Hernandez. “He has experienced success at multiple clubs in Major League Soccer and worked extensively within the unique league ecosystem ranging from expansion, MLS SuperDraft selections, to TAM and DP target acquisitions. Sean’s understanding of MLS and more specifically, Toronto FC, makes him an excellent fit to boost our capabilities as a front office group. His quality of character and passion for our club and city will prove to be invaluable as we work towards 2024 and beyond.”
Rubio returns to Toronto FC after spending four years with Austin FC, where he joined as Director of Player Personnel before earning a promotion to Vice President of Player Personnel in June 2023. At Austin, Rubio oversaw the roster management and compliance across the First Team, Austin FC II, and Academy. He originally joined the Verde & Black ahead of their inaugural MLS season in 2020, as part of the sporting leadership group building the team’s roster. During his time with Austin, he was involved in the acquisition of players including Landon Donovan MLS MVP finalist Sebastián Driussi as he helped reshape Austin FC from an expansion side into a Western Conference finalist during the 2022 MLS season. He also led the roster building of Austin FC II with the side recently advancing to the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro Western Conference Final in its inaugural season. The Walnut Creek, California native also served as the interim Sporting Director from January to June earlier this year.
“I couldn’t be happier to be joining Toronto FC,” said Rubio. “The club has supportive ownership and a passionate fanbase. I’m looking forward to working closely with our players and staff to bring success to the city of Toronto.”
In his first stint with Toronto FC, Rubio served as the Senior Manager of Scouting and Budget from 2016 to 2020, assisting with the integration of scouting, analytics and financial projections into the club’s Sporting and player acquisition processes. While he was with the Reds, Rubio enjoyed the most successful year in club history, when TFC lifted the MLS Cup, the Supporters’ Shield, and the Canadian Championship in 2017, becoming the first team in MLS history to win a domestic treble.
Prior to his time with TFC, Rubio worked for the San Jose Earthquakes from 2011 to 2014, serving as a video analyst for the Quakes and contributing to the club’s Supporters’ Shield in 2012.
