One of the biggest challenges that soccer coaches face at any level of the game is walking into a new locker room and trying to get everyone on the same page in a short period of time.

As we’ve seen repeatedly in leagues across the world and recently in England with Unai Emery’s Arsenal FC and Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea FC, it can take months for coaches to adjust to their new surroundings and potentially even longer for players to feel comfortable with the changes in playing style, training methods and general organizational structure that tend to come with new hires.

However, sometimes all it takes for coaches to accelerate that learning curve is a familiar face or two in the locker room. And if you’ve been paying close attention to player movement across the USL Championship this offseason, you probably have noticed that some coaches – especially those in new places – have been adapting a similar approach ahead of the 2019 season. (If you haven’t been paying attention: Check out our transfer tracker)

Hartford Athletic Head Coach Jimmy Nielsen has already signed six players that featured for OKC Energy FC during his four-year stint in charge of the Championship side, while fellow newcomer El Paso Locomotive FC has seen five players follow Head Coach Mark Lowry from Jacksonville Armada FC to Texas.

And it’s not just the new guys either.

Ahead of his second year at the helm of Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, Bob Lilley has brought in two more attacking pieces from his 2015 Rochester Rhinos squad that claimed the regular-season title and USL Cup.

In each of these cases, the band is getting back together, but it’s not just for old time’s sake.

Lilley, Lowry and Nielsen know that bringing in players that are familiar with their leadership style and tactics will help the club get up to speed faster during a short preseason. Of course, talent plays a part in the decisions as well, but having players who know already what it takes to succeed in the system and can help others learn its foundation can put you ahead of the curve.

Having those extra on-field “coaches” proves even more critical for expansion sides, who have limited time to build chemistry and understanding amongst an entirely new group of players. As we’ve seen over the years in the Championship, expansion teams that start the season strongly tend to reach the USL Cup Playoffs, while those that don’t sprint out of the gates usually face a roster overhaul the following offseason.

Last year, Lilley took over the Hounds following successive 13th-place finishes in the Eastern Conference. He brought in players like midfielder Kenardo Forbes, a vital piece of the 2015 USL Cup-winning squad, and other “RhinoHounds” as they were dubbed, including Christiano Francois, Jordan Dover and Ray Lee, all of whom had played for Lilley previously and made at least 29 appearances for the Hounds a season ago.