Jonathan Lintner

@JonathanLintner

The Louisville City Football Club on Wednesday named its first president, an executive with Major League Soccer experience, to lead the new franchise.

Djorn Buchholz, the current director of fan experience for MLS' Sporting Kansas City, will assume his post at Louisville City FC on Aug. 4, when he'll be tasked with heading all operations of the city's minor league club, which will start play next April.

Buchholz was formerly chief executive officer — the same role as Louisville City FC president — for the Minnesota United FC of the North American Soccer League and Austin Aztex, the United Soccer League's Professional Division franchise that moved to Orlando in 2011 and shifts to Louisville in 2015.

"It's all kind of come full circle for me," Buchholz said.

Whereas with Sporting KC Buchholz oversaw one area of the club, he said he missed the do-it-all role he had in the minor leagues. For Louisville City FC, which will play its home games at Louisville Slugger Field, Buchholz is expected to head up both business operations and player contracts.

He'll have the assistance of Wayne Estopinal, the local owner who kick started thetransfer of a USL Pro franchise to Louisville when Orlando City SC gained MLS expansion. Also, Louisville City FC has already hired coach James O'Connor, a former Orlando City player.

"Djorn's line is, 'Every opportunity that a Sporting-connected or Sporting-employed person from the policemen directing traffic to the concessions to the ticket taker — anyone who can impact the experience — he examines it and improves it," Estopinal said. "I think that will be an exceptional quality here for Louisville City.

"The biggest thing that he'll be doing is demonstrating to our supporters how important the fan experience is with Louisville City."

Sporting KC is known for its rowdy home environments and large crowds in a soccer-specific stadium. Not everything will translate to Louisville because "that's hard to find," Buchholz said. "But I think there's a lot of components here that we can incorporate in Louisville. It's all about being entrenched in the community.

"We want to be the greatest sporting experience people are going to be able to find in the Louisville market. I got a taste of it here, and I think it's all about being connected and staying connected to the fans. People are going to have my email. They're going to have my cell phone number. I want to hear from them on what they want and what they expect."

Buchholz — his last name's pronunciation rhymes with former college football coach Lou Holtz — left Minnesota United FC with positive reviews in how he handled the full fan experience: marketing, ticketing, sponsorships and, of course, what happened on the field.

"He took over a league-owned team that was in constant danger of folding, and he righted the ship, steering it successfully to the current situation," wrote Jon Marthaler, a Minneapolis Star-Tribune reporter, in April 2013.

Louisville City FC, announced in early June to start play next year, now has its point man.

"We're really excited that he's coming," Estopinal said. "He has incredible experience in creating the highest level of fan experience for soccer in the United States."

Jonathan Lintner can be reached at (502) 582-4199. Follow him on Twitter @JonathanLintner.