Splash Names Ex-Indoor Player General Manager

Don Ebert, a former indoor soccer player who spent the last eight years working with Forum Boxing, has been named general manager of the Splash.

Ebert, 36, reached an agreement with majority owner Bill Williams over the weekend. He retired as an indoor player in 1988, and last year did color commentary on Continental Indoor Soccer League television broadcasts.

Ebert was director of marketing and business development for Forum Sports under Jerry Buss.

“If it wasn’t soccer, and if it wasn’t soccer in Orange County 10 minutes from where I lived, I wouldn’t have done it,” Ebert said. “The allure to me was soccer in my neighborhood and the opportunity to run the day-to-day operations. If there’s a bad decision, I can’t point the finger at my boss and say, ‘We shouldn’t have done that.’ ”

He has lived in Irvine since 1987 with his wife and three children.

Ebert said he hopes to have a staff and office running next week to build on the 1,100 season-ticket base. He has hired Steve Samaha as the Splash’s director of operations.

Ebert will be responsible for player personnel and take an active role in securing more corporate sponsorship for the franchise. He said the leading coaching candidate is George Fernandez, last year’s coach, and he hopes to stock the team with local players.