Daniel Karell

The Courier-Journal

Louisville City FC chairman John Neace is spending part of this week in Florida with the expressed goal of signing coach James O'Connor to a contract extension.

The 37-year-old Irishman is heading into the final year of his contract, and after back-to-back seasons leading Louisville City to the Eastern Conference finals, Neace said he wants to keep O'Connor part of the club as it prepares to move into a soccer-specific stadium in the next few years.

"I'm in Florida with the team for four days," Neace said, "and one of my main objectives while I'm down there is to get James on a new contract. That's actually my No. 1 reason for going. I want James to stay, I very much want him to stay and be a part of Louisville City and see this stadium built, and all those things. At the same time, James is a bright star, so we as a team, we as a city, either have to shine right along with him or he's going to move on to another galaxy.

"Me and him and Gary (Mellor, O'Connor's agent) are going to spend the day together on (Tuesday). We're going to watch practice, hang out, watch practice and then go to dinner, and then hopefully we'll wrap it up."

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Since joining the club as its first manager in 2014, O'Connor has a record of 31 wins, 10 draws and 17 defeats in regular-season action in the United Soccer League, as well as a record of 3-2 in five playoff appearances. O'Connor has also overseen three seasons of roster construction, with 18 former players having left the club after joining in either the first or second season along with, so far, 16 new players joining the club since its inaugural season.

"We've got to support him, and in exchange, we get loyalty and a commitment from him," Neace said. "But if he is every bit the coach I know he is, well what do you do when the best team in the world calls and wants him to coach. How do you honestly get the guy to say, 'No, I won't go.' You better have something pretty special going on here."

For his part, O'Connor said he feels very settled in Louisville and has no desire of leaving the club.

“I’ve got a great relationship with John," O'Connor said in an interview in January. "John and myself have been in talks and we’ve got a meeting set up, but there’s no issues with that. I want to be here."