The Chicago Fire are taking a big step toward toward the future, announcing a newly created football analytics group. Kevin Minkus joins the club as Director, Football Analytics.
Minkus will now be responsible for building a team that will “ensure the Club’s football data processes are efficient and reliable,” according to a news release. He will report to the club’s sporting director, Georg Heitz.
“We’re very excited to officially welcome Kevin to the Club,” Heitz said in the news release. “We have been really pleased with his work for us as a consultant during the last two years and having him join in a full-time capacity will allow us to further expand our approach to data and analytics.”
Several other MLS clubs already have a similar department, so the Fire are playing a bit of catch up here. But, Minkus is considered as one of the best in the industry. He’ll help the coaching staff with opposition scouting, and analyze transfer targets, among many other duties.
Since 2016, Minkus has worked as a consultant for several professional sports teams and leagues. He’s been consulting for the Fire since 2019, and also worked as a Data Scientist for Monetate, a software company that provides e-commerce solutions for online retailers, from 2017-2021.
He’s a University of Pittsburgh graduate, with a Bachelor of Science in Math, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics in 2015. In 2018, he was part of a team that won the grand prize at the U.S. Soccer “Hackathon,” for a project that modeled player decision making in the final third. He’s also been a contributor for American Soccer Analysis.