Rumor: Denis Hamlett to be appointed New York Red Bulls Sporting Director "this week"

The resident scoopmaster of the New York Red Bulls beat, Kristian Dyer, is in mid-season form. RBNY has a vacancy at Sporting Director, and Mr. Dyer has information to suggest that vacancy is about to be filled:

Per source, hearing #RBNY will officially make Denis Hamlett the sporting director sometime this week. Big move for the club. #MLSisBack

— Kristian Dyer (@KristianRDyer) February 28, 2017

Dyer has previously reported - for Metro (no relation) - that Hamlett was fulfilling the duties of RBNY SD during what we now understand to be protracted severance discussions between the club and its previous Sporting Director, Ali Curtis. At RBNY's Media Day, head coach Jesse Marsch batted away questions about Curtis' replacement, suggesting the decisions taken by the SD were a shared responsibility and implying the team was in no hurry to appoint a replacement.

But the idea of Hamlett stepping into the SD position has been floating around since news of a reshuffle in the RBNY coaching and front office set-up first broke with the rumor Jesse Marsch was off to Salzburg. Credit Ives Galarcep of the Sporting News as the first to suggest Hamlett would be the Red Bulls' Sporting Director this season, albeit for reasons that never materialized.

Hamlett is nominally the senior assistant coach to Jesse Marsch, so his appointment to SD will technically create a vacancy on the coaching staff, which RBNY may or may not choose to fill. Junior assistant Chris Armas has recently become a more vocal and visible member of the coaching team, suggesting he may be due a step-up to the role of Marsch's right-hand on the bench.