Echo Soccer Hires Court Jeske as President

Court Jeske, who has held senior roles within the U.S. soccer community for the past two decades, has been named president of Echo Soccer, a new division of Oklahoma City investment firm Echo.

The announcement follows Echo’s new majority ownership of OKC Energy FC, which will be managed by Echo Soccer and include operating the future MAPS 4 downtown multipurpose stadium that will be the professional soccer club’s eventual home. As president of Echo Soccer, Jeske will oversee Energy FC, ongoing stadium development efforts in partnership with the City of OKC, and future sports initiatives.

“There is no question that soccer has arrived in our country in a big way, and it’s time for Oklahoma City to join the party,” said Jeske. “With a professional club returning to the city and a state-of-the-art multipurpose stadium coming to the heart of our thriving downtown, we’ve got all the pieces in place to do it right. I invite everyone in OKC, soccer fan or not, to help us build a club that represents our city and state throughout the world.”

Jeske has held senior roles at U.S. Soccer, Major League Soccer, Nashville Soccer Club and United Soccer League over the past 20 years. Most recently, he was chief commercial officer for USL, where he worked on deals across media, sponsorships and various strategic partnerships.

“Court is a force in the world of professional sports,” said Christian Kanady, founding partner and chief executive officer of Echo and majority owner of OKC Energy FC. “His record, reputation, and influence time and again demonstrate his tremendous talent for both breathing new life and building from the ground up. As the popularity of soccer in the nation continues to rise, I am confident that Court’s leadership will take our club and broader goals to the next level, drive growth, and ultimately position Oklahoma City as a key player in sports, media, and entertainment.”

Aside from long-standing stints at MLS and USL, Jeske was the founding chief executive officer and minority owner of Nashville SC. Most recently, as the chief commercial officer for the USL, he led national media, sponsorship and broader commercial efforts for the league.

While at USL, Jeske completed a 10-year agreement with Legends, building media rights agreements with CBS, ESPN, and Univision. Jeske was also previously vice president of international business for MLS, delivering international events for the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams, CONCACAF and Mexican National Team. Earlier in his career, he held roles with USA Rugby, U.S. Soccer and Sporting Kansas City.