Louisville City Football Club continues to add excellence on and off the pitch by today announcing the appointment of Mario Sanchez as Director of Youth Development and Community Relations. The role saw Sanchez transition out of the position of head coach at SIUE, where he amassed a record of 38-24-14 in four seasons as the Cougars’ head coach.
A bittersweet move, Sanchez reiterated his desire to work in professional soccer and specifically with Louisville City FC:
“My family and I are extremely excited to return Louisville and join the Louisville City FC family. The opportunity to work with President Brad Estes and Technical Director/Head Coach John Hackworth was something that I could not turn down. Brad and John have a clear, long-term vision of success for LCFC both on and off the field.”
“On the field, I am looking forward to assisting coach Hackworth and assistant coach Danny Cruz as we strive to win another USL Championship. Off the field, I am passionate about the opportunity to work with all community leaders to help grow the sport of soccer and to give back to the Louisville community.”
LouCity President Brad Estes sings high praises on Sanchez, describing him as the piece of the puzzle that was missing:
“LouCity is proud to welcome Mario Sanchez into the family. He represents everything to which we aspire, and will help us bridge the gap from the club to the community. Mario will demonstrate that we are doing the right things in order to build a club that is sustainable long into the future.”
“Bringing in someone like Mario who is familiar with the Louisville soccer landscape is a huge plus as well, and this is a bit of a homecoming for him. We’re thrilled to have him on board and to have another character who matches our ambitions.”
Coach John Hackworth echoes Estes’ comments, lauding Sanchez as a top professional:
“We have just landed one of the best soccer people in the game in this country. Mario has been a positive influence everywhere he has been. We are truly blessed to have someone of his character, caliber, and experience joining our staff as we continue to grow our club in the years to come.”
Leaving SIUE with a regular season championship and tournament championship in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC), Sanchez returns to Louisville to work for the back-to-back USL Champions effective January 1.
Visit www.loucity.com for more information.
