Nick Kelly became the CEO of Tepper Sports and Entertainment in February 2022, but abruptly stepped down from the role Wednesday.
Charlotte FC
Tepper Sports & Entertainment announced Wednesday morning that chief executive officer Nick Kelly is stepping down from his role.
Kelly was appointed the position within Tepper Sports, the ownership group of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and Major League Soccer’s expansion team Charlotte FC, in February amid a shakeup of leadership across the organizations.
He was named Charlotte FC team president in December 2020 and helped launch the team before its inaugural season this year.
“Nick played an integral role in laying the groundwork for Charlotte FC’s inaugural season, and was a key contributor to Tepper Sports & Entertainment,” owner David Tepper said in a release provided by the Panthers and Charlotte FC. “We appreciate his efforts and wish him and his family the best as they move forward.”
It’s unclear when Kelly will formally leave the organization, and who will replace him in the role. His departure is an abrupt one. In an interview with The Charlotte Observer last week, Kelly spoke for the organization about several long-term projects he was supposed to be integrally involved in, including a massive renovation of Bank of America Stadium to make it last for at least another decade.
Prior to joining Charlotte FC and Tepper Sports, Kelly’s background was working in sports marketing for Anheuser-Busch since 2014. He also served as a communications manager for NASCAR from 2011-14.
Kelly returned to Charlotte in 2020 to help launch Charlotte FC under then-Tepper Sports & Entertainment (TSE) president Tom Glick, who left his role amid the executive leadership changes announced in February. Kristi Coleman was named the president of the Panthers and Joe LaBue was named president of Charlotte FC at the time, while Kelly stepped into the newly created role of TSE CEO.
“I want to thank Mr. and Mrs. Tepper, as well as the entire Tepper Sports & Entertainment organization, for giving me the opportunity to build a club, culture, and fanbase from the ground up at Charlotte FC,” Kelly said in a statement. “It has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and for that, I will be forever grateful and a fan.”
The leadership turnover comes shortly after TSE stopped construction on its formerly-planned Panthers headquarters in Rock Hill, S.C. due to a disagreement between the city and the company. That was among the topics billionaire owner Tepper was asked about during a Panthers-focused press conference last week in which he deflected many of those questions.
This story is breaking and will be updated.
This story was originally published May 4, 2022 11:06 AM.
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