After winning the United Soccer League Cup on Thursday night, Louisville City FC's players and coaches escaped a growing mob near midfield and huddled by themselves near the sideline.

A brief moment passed, and head coach John Hackworth emerged above the group. He was then hoisted up again. And again.

When Hackworth took over in August, he knew only two of those players. On Thursday night he was celebrating with all 22 of them as the first back-to-back champions in USL history.

"This is incredible. I can't put it into words," Hackworth said, champagne dripping from his salt-and-pepper beard. "I'm just so happy for this group of men because they deserve it. To see the way they celebrate together and the love that they share for each other, it's amazing."

Louisville City defeated Phoenix Rising FC, 1-0, Thursday night at Lynn Stadium on the University of Louisville campus. It was the same score as last year's USL Cup, in which they beat Swope Park Rangers at Slugger Field.

In the 360 days between games, a lot changed for the fourth-year franchise. But largely thanks to the 48-year-old former U.S. Men's National Team assistant, the end result was the same.

In late-June, James O'Connor — the only coach in Louisville's history — announced he was leaving for Major League Soccer's Orlando City SC. Deep into the regular season, Louisville opted to use three players as player-coaches during the month-long search for his replacement.

The team picked Hackworth. At his introductory press conference, he said he previously coached only two Louisville players — midfielder Brian Ownby and defender Shaun Francis.

Read this:The best Louisville City FC stories from 2018 that you may have missed

Louisville captain and midfielder Paolo DelPiccolo admitted Thursday the players were nervous.

"When James left, you're kinda scared because you don't know who's going to come in. And then when Hack comes in for us and takes over for a week, for two weeks, you're like, 'Oh, thank God. We're in really good hands,'" he said.

In good hands they were. Hackworth led the team to a 12-2-3 record in the regular season and playoffs. Louisville last lost on Sept. 11, and closed the season on a 10-game winning streak.

That included Thursday's USL Cup final. In front of 7,025 fans on a frigid night, Louisville emerged victorious thanks to a 62nd-minute goal from forward Luke Spencer. He scored on a corner-kick that ricocheted around in the box and landed at his feet. Spencer blasted it into the bottom left corner of the net and then was mobbed by his teammates.

Louisville withstood a number of chances down the stretch from a potent Phoenix offense that included former Chelsea F.C. star Didier Drogba. Potentially playing his final game, the 40-year-old soccer legend only put one shot on target but had six shots total. He picked up seven fouls, one of which earned him a yellow card.

When the whistle blew three times, it was time for the confetti and champagne — some of which the players drank out of the USL Cup. They sprayed the rest on a large crowd gathered around the podium.

Among that crowd was team chairman John Neace, wearing his signature purple suit. He said he was feeling "sky high."

"Coach O'Connor started a great thing for us, coach Hackworth stepped in and took it to the next level," Neace said.

For Hackworth, who has coached more than two decades at the international, professional, and college levels, it wasn't the first time he's won a championship. But he said, "none like this."

"That was just incredible," Hackworth said. "That was cool."

Asked when he knew his team had a shot at winning a title, he said it was during the Sept. 11 loss, in which he felt his team outplayed their opponent, FC Cincinnati, despite the 1-0 score.

The game:Louisville City FC wins second-straight USL Cup, beats Phoenix Rising FC

"That performance, I walked back to the locker room, and I said, 'You do that, no one can beat you.' And then I thought, 'Okay, this could really happen.' It went well from there," he said.

The team then hi-fived the hundreds of remaining fans and headed back to the locker room, where loud music and cheers could be heard through the doors and walls.

Hackworth apologized for showing up late to a post-game press conference, joking — or admitting — he was doing shots. He sat next to DelPiccolo, who complimented him for his "great soccer mind."

"He wants us to play a beautiful style of soccer that we want to play. He gives us the freedom, but he also holds us accountable. I think that Hack has brought so much to our locker room and so much to our soccer team," he said.

As for what's next, Hackworth is signed through 2020 — the same year Louisville is scheduled to move into its 11,300-seat soccer-specific stadium in Butchertown.

But before that, Neace, Hackworth and the players were already thinking about next year and becoming the first USL team to win three championships.

"It's what this fan base expects, it's what these guys have done," Hackworth said. "I've heard some of them say, 'We're gonna three-peat, we're gonna three-peat.' That's just their mentality. It's pretty amazing."

Justin Sayers: 502-582-4252; jsayers@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @_JustinSayers. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/justins.