PHOENIX – Phoenix Rising FC announced on Monday the departure of Head Coach Juan Guerra for a coaching position with a club in Major League Soccer.

The MLS team met the terms of a buyout clause in Guerra’s contract to finalize the deal.

“Juan Guerra will always be part of the Phoenix Rising family,” said President Bobby Dulle. “In his short time as head coach, he helped the club achieve a goal it had been chasing for seven years. We are proud to have had him at the helm during our first championship season. We respect Juan’s decision to embark on a new opportunity and extend our best wishes for continued success to him and his family in their future endeavors.”

Guerra was named Head Coach of Rising FC on August 22, 2022, leading the team to a record of 4-4-1 in the final nine matches. In the offseason, he helped reconstruct the roster, forging a team that excelled in the 2023 USL Championship Playoffs. Phoenix became the first team to win four consecutive road contests in the league’s postseason on the way to claiming the 2023 USL Championship title, the first in the club’s history.

Guerra ends his tenure at Rising with a record of 20-15-14 across all competitions.

“I want to express my gratitude for everyone that was part of what we were able to achieve,” said Guerra. “I am so grateful for the opportunity I received to come back to Phoenix and win a championship together. Being able to unify the coaching staff, the players and the front office under one culture and one goal was remarkable to see. That is what I want people to remember about my time here.

“This was not an easy decision to make. We love Phoenix. We love where we are and my family loves being here, but this is part of the growth and development that the profession demands. It is the path I feel I need to take at this point in my career. As much as this hurts – it feels good to know we are leaving Phoenix in an incredible position. I am very sure the organization will continue to have success.”

With Rising FC’s victory, Guerra became the youngest coach to lead a side to the USL Championship title aged 36 years, 8 months and 27 days old. Prior to joining Phoenix Rising FC as an assistant coach for the 2021 season, he had spent two seasons as an assistant coach with fellow USL Championship club Indy Eleven. That followed a playing career that saw him record almost 200 professional appearances, and six international caps for Venezuela.