DETROIT – Detroit City FC announced on Wednesday it had appointed former Premier League striker and Sacramento Republic FC assistant coach Danny Dichio as the club's new Head Coach. Dichio becomes the fourth Head Coach in the history of the men’s senior side, dating back to 2012, and joins on a two-year contract.

Dichio, a celebrated figure in English football, enjoyed a distinguished playing career with notable stints at Queens Park Rangers, Sunderland, Millwall, and Preston North End before moving across the pond in 2007 to join Toronto FC for their inaugural season in Major League Soccer. Dichio became an adored figure in Toronto as he scored their first goal in Major League Soccer in the club’s first victory, at home to Chicago Fire FC at BMO Field.

After 59 appearances for Toronto, he transitioned into an ambassador role for the club and took up a position on their academy coaching staff in 2009. Dichio remained as a coach in the Toronto FC youth system for more than a decade before joining Mark Briggs’ coaching staff at Sacramento Republic FC ahead of the 2022 USL Championship campaign.

In Dichio’s two seasons on the Sacramento coaching staff, Republic FC achieved great success on the field. In 2022, Sacramento finished as the No. 4 seed in the USL Championship’s Western Conference and produced a remarkable run to the Final of the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, where they lost to Orlando City of Major League Soccer.

This past season, Sacramento finished at the top of the Western Conference standings and advanced to the Western Conference Final of the 2023 USL Championship Playoffs before falling 2-1 to the eventual champions, Phoenix Rising FC.

“My family and I are thrilled to be joining Detroit City FC and the community of Detroit,” said Dichio. “This is a unique club with great leadership, and I can’t tell you how excited I am to get started with the group and build on the recent success of Detroit City Football Club.”

Sporting Director Trevor James and Vice President of Sporting and Wellness Tiffany Ebert James led the search for a new head coach; Trevor has led Detroit City FC from the touchline since 2019 and oversaw the club's transition into professional soccer. This appointment of Dichio is James’ first act as the club's Sporting Director, a role which he transitioned into following the conclusion of the 2023 USL Championship season.

“We are very pleased to have Danny on board as the Club continues to commit substantial resources to build on our winning foundations,” said James. “We entered the head coach selection process with a definitive list of desired qualities, credentials, and experiences. Danny’s football philosophy and strong commitment to accountability and personal responsibility match up perfectly with the identity we want our team to continue to embody. He greatly appreciates the history and legacy of this Club and this City and embraces the challenges ahead.”