Louisville City FC and head coach Danny Cruz have agreed to a new multi-year contract that will keep the reigning USL Championship Coach of the Year at the helm of the team.
Cruz, 34, led LouCity to its first-ever Players’ Shield with a league-best 24-6-4 record. The team tied the USL Championship record for wins in a season while setting franchise records for goals scored (86) and points earned (76).
Despite a record-breaking regular season, LouCity’s playoff campaign ended earlier than expected, with a 3-0 loss to Rhode Island in the Eastern Conference semifinal. Cruz, however, said he is determined to build on the success and address the shortfall.
“I am grateful to John Neace, Chris Harding, and our entire ownership group for the opportunity to continue my time here at Louisville City FC,” Cruz said in a statement. “When I reflect on the 2024 season, staff, players, and I recognize that we fell short. My hope is that everyone associated with this club feels an immense amount of pride in the consistency we showed throughout the season while also knowing we needed to be better when it mattered most.” Cruz is entering his fifth season as LouCity’s head coach and holds the distinction of being the club’s winningest and longest-tenured manager. Since taking over as interim head coach early in 2021, Cruz has led the team to consistent success, including an Eastern Conference title in 2022 and multiple record-setting regular seasons.
“We believe that in Danny, we have the best young coach in the country,” said James O’Connor, LouCity’s president in a statement. “Our 2024 regular season was record-breaking and one we are all very proud of. However, we all feel we have unfinished business going into 2025 and are delighted to have Danny lead the charge toward our third star.”
Cruz also oversaw the development of academy standout Josh Wynder, who completed a record transfer to Portuguese powerhouse Benfica last year, and his brother Elijah, named the USL Championship’s 2024 Young Player of the Year.
“I was fortunate to be in a position at the end of this season to make a decision on where I wanted to coach in 2025,” Cruz said. “After discussing with my wife, we both agreed that at this moment in time, there is not a better place for me to be than Louisville. I cannot wait to get back on the field, and I’m looking forward to seeing this group continue to push toward our ultimate goal.”
The 2024 campaign saw LouCity dominate at home, winning 16 of 17 regular-season matches at Lynn Family Stadium, a new league record, and took home Coach of the Year with 51% of the vote.
Season tickets for the 2025 campaign are on sale now.
This article appears in Dec 4-17, 2024.
