On Oct. 26, 2026, Rhode Island FC and Centreville Bank Stadium officially welcomed Lou DePaoli as President of Business Operations, marking the next step in the advancement of the club and state-of-the-art venue. DePaoli brings more than 30 years of senior leadership experience across professional sports, with a track record spanning Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League and American Hockey League, alongside a longstanding connection to New England.
A graduate of the University of Massachusetts and proud New England native, DePaoli’s appointment marks a professional return to the region he has called home for the majority of his life. From his career beginnings with the Worcester IceCats to successful stints across some of the country’s top major leagues, get to know Rhode Island FC and Centreville Bank Stadium’s next President through the voice of DePaoli himself!
Q: Why is New England special to you? What attracts you to this region?
DePaoli: I have lived over half of my life in New England, and this is where me and my family call home. It is an amazing place full of so much history, beauty, and of course, die-hard soccer fans!
Q: What is one word or phrase that best describes you as a person?
DePaoli: I am extremely passionate. I thoroughly enjoy life, work and recreation, and love sharing that passion with others.
Q: What is one word or phrase that best describes you as a sports professional?
DePaoli: I am a builder and developer. First and foremost, I love developing our staff. Being able to have a part in someone’s personal and professional development is very rewarding. Building a business that thrives on great people and great culture has proven to yield great results, which is what I strive for every day.
Q: What is one fun and/or interesting fact you’d like fans to know about you?
DePaoli: When we launched the Worcester IceCats in 1994, I had booked one of our first-ever mascot appearances at a local bowling alley, but nobody was available to actually wear the mascot costume. Since I was the right size, I put it on and for two hours entertained kids and their families at a bowling alley. I had a blast!
Q: How did you get your start in sports? What helped shape the decision to pursue the sports industry early on in your career?
DePaoli: I was fortunate enough to meet with Roy Boe, owner of the IceCats, not long after he was awarded the franchise rights in 1994. After a series of interviews, they offered me the role as Vice President of Sales, which I gladly accepted. What I was drawn to about working in sports was the business side of the industry. Yes, I was and still am a huge sports fan, but I am such a fan of business and was eager to apply what I knew about business to the sports world.
Q: What is one story from your career that you’ll never get tired of telling?
DePaoli: While I worked for the NBA, then-Commissioner David Stern called my home looking for me as he was upset about something. David was known for his “fiery personality,” but was also very caring as well. I had been away on a trip to Indiana to visit the Pacers.
I was taking an early morning flight back to New York when I sent David an email asking him to make a visit to the Pacers, as he had not done that in a while. While driving home from the airport, he tried my cell numerous times and eventually called my home and my wife answered. I was not home, but walked in the door a few minutes later to my wife wondering what was happening if David Stern was calling our home. I did not have any answer.
I went upstairs and called David’s office, and they patched me right through. Once he got on the phone, he told me, “I thought you were a smart person, Lou.” He proceeded to chastise me for going out of process by emailing him directly about a trip to Indiana vs. going through one of his assistants. After a few minutes, when David finally came up for air, I responded with, “David, you are correct. I am a smart person. You know why? I won’t make the same mistake twice.”
He chuckled and said, “Okay, have a good weekend.”
Q: Have you had a “pinch me” moment throughout your career? Tell us about it!
DePaoli: There are many of those moments but here are a few:
- The first game in Worcester IceCats history. It is not too often you get to be part of a team’s inaugural game, and it was also my first game working in sports. To see how the plan came together in a short period of time to get to the first game was hectic, but extremely rewarding.
- The first sellout in Worcester IceCats history. This was a personal goal, as we did not sell out our inaugural game. We put together a plan to fill all 12,311 seats for a game on Feb 10, 1995, and to see the building packed was quite a great feeling for the fans, the players, and the staff. This was also the largest crowd in the American Hockey League in over 20 years.
- Winning the World Series in 1997 with the Marlins in front of 68,000 fans, and jumping on the field with my wife to celebrate with the team.
- Being able to spend time with legendary Boston Celtics coach and executive Red Auerbach in his office on Opening Night, listening to his stories and what an amazing impact he had on the NBA.
- Beating the Dodgers and then sweeping the Cubs on our way to the 2015 World Series with the Mets (we lost to the KC Royals, unfortunately).
Q: As a longtime sports fan and executive, what is one of your proudest achievements?
DePaoli: Seeing so many of my staff members ascend to great heights in the sports industry is what I take the most pride in. Like head coaches on the sports/technical side of things, we also have “coaching trees” for leaders on the business side of sports. I love seeing so many branches on my personal coaching tree. It is very rewarding to see people you have mentored, coached and developed evolve into great leaders in their own right.
Q: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
DePaoli: “You have two ears and one mouth, you should listen twice as often as you speak.”
This is something that I try to practice every day and encourage my teammates to do the same. It is amazing what you can accomplish if everyone listens to each other.
Q: What excites you about joining Rhode Island FC and Centreville Bank Stadium?
DePaoli: So many things! In no particular order…
- Ownership is committed, passionate, and caring.
- The staff is also committed, passionate, and caring.
- The community, fans, sponsors and supporters are also committed, passionate and caring.
- Centreville Bank Stadium is a first-class, state-of-the-art entertainment venue with a well-established foundation and incredible potential.
- The USL is a league that is innovative and growing, with a new promotion and relegation system and Division 1 league on the horizon.
- Rhode Island FC has been a proven winner on the pitch, reaching back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals in its first two seasons.
- The region is full of passionate soccer fans!
Q: What is your first message to Rhode Island FC fans who are eager to get to know the new President of Business Operations?
DePaoli: First, thank you for all of the support the first three seasons! Your passion and energy have made Centreville Bank Stadium one of the USL Championship’s premier atmospheres, setting the standard for supporters across the league.
Second, I look forward to meeting and getting to know you as I truly want to hear your feedback.
Lastly, we will do our best to make you and the community proud by delivering outstanding entertainment that will provide lifelong memories for you and your guests who attend our games and events at Centreville Bank Stadium.
Q: What do you look forward to the most in taking on this new role?
DePaoli: I cannot wait to get to know the staff, corporate partners, fans, supporters and community members, and to pick their brains on how we can make RIFC and Centreville Bank Stadium an entertainment venue and destination that will provide each of them with lasting memories.
Q: How are you feeling ahead of the team’s upcoming playoff run?
DePaoli: Optimistic! Playoffs in almost every sport can be very unpredictable. A hot goalkeeper, a lucky bounce, a team that gets hot at the right time – the unpredictability of it all makes the playoffs so much fun to watch and I look forward to seeing our club perform at their best in this playoff run. Especially given the club’s historic playoff success in its first two seasons, the postseason is one of the most exciting times to watch Rhode Island FC compete, and I’m thrilled to have joined on time to cheer on the team for its third-straight playoff run.
