FC Dallas has its new coach. And it didn't need to go far to get him.

The club is set to announce Luchi Gonzalez, director of the team's academy, as its new coach in a news conference Monday, two sources confirmed to The Dallas Morning News.

Gonzalez has served as the director of the team's successful academy since October 2015 and coached a number of different youth teams during his tenure. While yet to coach at the senior level, FCD feels confident that Gonzalez is ready to lead the first team after the departure of Oscar Pareja.

FCD declined to comment, and Gonzalez did not immediately respond to messages from The News Saturday.

Pareja left the club in the offseason to take over Club Tijuana. He also worked as FCD's Academy Director but coached the Colorado Rapids for two seasons before taking the reins with FCD's first team. He led the team for five years, winning the Supporters' Shield and U.S. Open Cup in 2016.

The 38-year-old Gonzalez will become the second-youngest head coach in the league, perhaps fitting for a team that looks to be fully committing to its philosophy of developing young players in the academy, giving them time in the first team and then selling them on to bigger clubs.

Reports indicate teenage center back Chris Richards, who never made a first-team appearance for FCD, is set to sign with Bayern Munich after joining the German giants on loan in the summer.

While Richards is departing, the club already has made more room for youth this offseason.

Forward Maxi Urruti was traded to the Montreal Impact, midfielder Victor Ulloa flipped to FC Cincinnati and forward Tesho Akindele moved to Orlando City SC. In all three moves, the club got back allocation money and/or a draft pick rather than a player.

Center backs Reto Ziegler and Matt Hedges are the oldest field players remaining on the roster, with 13 the 23 players currently under contract 23 years old or younger.

The transactions should to clear the way for young standouts such as forward Jesus Ferreira and U.S. youth international midfielders Paxton Pomykal and Brandon Servania to fight for starting jobs in the upcoming campaign.

There was confusion about who was calling the shots in those deals, as ESPN had reported Luiz Muzzi, FC Dallas' Vice President of Soccer Operations, is leaving for a similar position with Orlando.

While some reports indicate Muzzi already is making decisions for Orlando, sources said he was in Frisco working as recently as last week and is still employed by FCD for at least another week.

While Pareja took assistant coach Josema Bazan and strength and conditioning coach Fabian Bazan with him to Tijuana to form part of his staff, long-time assistant Marco Ferruzzi and goalkeeping coach Drew Kesshan are still listed on FCD's website. Ferruzzi in particular is expected to stay on with the club, though his role may shift to a position more on the player personnel side.

Gonzalez won the Hermann award while at SMU, given annually to the best soccer player in the country. (The Dallas Morning News / File photo)

As a player, Gonzalez was a college standout, winning the Hermann Trophy for best player in the nation after his 2001 campaign with SMU. After struggling to get his pro career off the ground, he turned to coaching, starting in the high school ranks while still playing as a forward. In April 2012, he joined FCD's academy coaching staff and experienced quick success with the youth teams.

The bilingual Gonzalez rose through the ranks and was named Academy Director in 2015, overseeing teams that won a number of Development Academy crowns and the 2017 Dallas Cup Super Group among other trophies. He also helped establish a pipeline that has produced 25 signings all-time with the FCD first team.

FCD also is launching a team in USL League One in 2019, providing another outlet for its academy talent to get professional minutes. Gonzalez previously was seen as a candidate to lead that team, North Texas Soccer Club, but that job now will fall to another coach.