Sacramento Republic FC announces head coach Mark Briggs ‘mutually agrees’ to part with team

Sacramento Republic FC will be looking for a new head coach this offseason.

The soccer club on Monday announced that Mark Briggs and the organization “mutually agreed to part ways” after five years at the helm. Briggs led the team to the United Soccer League playoffs in four seasons and was the longest-acting manager in its history.

The club never reached its ultimate goal of winning a USL Championship title with Briggs, but it made history by reaching the U.S. Open Cup final in 2022 becoming the first second-division team in two decades to reach the final round. Republic FC beat three MLS teams to get there before losing to Orlando City SC, 3-0.

“Sacramento is a very special place, with a one-of-a-kind club and incredible fans,” Briggs said in a statement. “I’d like to thank the players who’ve been a part of the past five years, the front office who’ve been incredibly supportive, and the fans who welcomed me into the club with tremendous passion and vigor. I’m grateful for my time here and it has been an honor to be a part of this community.”

Republic FC’s 2024 season came to a disappointing finish on Friday by falling in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs to the Las Vegas Lights FC in a penalty shootout after both teams went scoreless in regulation.

The team entered the playoffs as a No. 5 seed with 49 points in the table and a 13-10-11 record while dealing with injuries to key players throughout the year, including a season-ending knee injury to stalwart Rodrigo Lopez and a prolonged absence from Russell Cicerone.

“As always these are tough decisions. I can’t say enough about Mark, both in his coaching and his desire to win.,” said the club’s chairman and owner, Kevin Nagle. “I wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors”

Briggs, who is from Wolverhampton, England, began his career in soccer as a player in the United Kingdom and Denmark before coming to play in the United States in 2008. Briggs later worked his way through the coaching ranks with the Real Monarchs and was named the 2017 USL coach of the year during his first season as the head coach. He joined Sacramento as its academy director in 2019 before getting promoted to the head job in 2020.

“Mark will always have a special place in Republic history, and in particular, by leading our team to unprecedented heights for the 2022 US Open Cup final,” said general manager and president, Todd Dunivant. “We wish Mark and his family well in his next chapter. We will now turn our attention toward a comprehensive head coaching search and building a championship roster for 2025 and beyond.”