SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sacramento Republic FC today announced Mark Briggs as the club’s next head coach effective immediately, continuing the team’s preparation for the 2020 USL Championship season. The terms of the two-year agreement were not disclosed. The club’s extensive search examined top-tier candidates with experience across a wide array of professional soccer.

“Mark is an exceptional leader, a proven winner, and is passionate about player development,” said Sacramento Republic FC General Manager Todd Dunivant. “He has excelled as our Academy Director, and his forward-thinking approach is the right fit as we compete for silverware and develop talent for our club.”

The USL 2017 Coach of the Year joined Republic FC as an adviser for the club’s academy earlier this year, eventually rising to the role of Academy Director in August.

“It is truly an exciting time for football in Sacramento and I’m thankful for the opportunity to grow with Republic FC in this new role,” said Briggs. “From my first days supporting the academy to this new role guiding the first team players, the passion and values that drive this club will help us find success and build a strong foundation for years to come.”

Mark’s experience as a player, leader, and coach – across his career and levels of professional football – will add a wealth of knowledge to support Republic FC’s 2020 campaign.

Briggs led Real Monarchs SLC during the club’s impressive turnaround campaign in 2017. That season, the Monarchs climbed from 11th on the previous season’s table to first place in the Western Conference. Due in part to the club's dramatic turnaround, Briggs was honored as the USL Coach of the Year after delivering the Monarchs its first-ever trophy and playoff berth in club history.

During the record-breaking 2017 campaign, Monarchs started the season 13-1-0 over 14 games, establishing a new mark for consecutive wins. The well-rounded club collected 11 clean sheets, only conceded three or more goals once in league play, and was only held scoreless in five matches. Briggs guided his team to within two wins of the all-time USL Championship Regular Season record set by New York Red Bulls II, which was then broken by Western Conference opponent Phoenix Rising FC in 2019.