TULSA, Okla. – FC Tulsa announced on Tuesday it had appointed Mario Sanchez as the club’s new Head Coach and Technical Director.

Sanchez brings a wealth of experience and proven success across multiple levels of the game. His arrival signifies FC Tulsa’s commitment to building a competitive and successful organization both on and off the field. His most recent role was Technical Director and Assistant Coach at NWSL's Racing Louisville FC, having also served as the club’s interim Head Coach late in the 2021 season.

"I could not be more excited to lead FC Tulsa into a new era,” said Sanchez. “The commitment from the Craft family to establish FC Tulsa into a USL club that competes for championships on a yearly basis is an opportunity that I am humbled to be a part of.  Furthermore, their dedication to growing soccer in the greater Tulsa area speaks volumes about their commitment to their community.  I am looking forward to getting onto the field to work with our players and representing our fans with an exciting brand of soccer."

Before taking on the role of Technical Director and Assistant Coach at Racing Louisville FC, Sanchez served as the Academy Director for both the USL Championship’s Louisville City FC and Racing Louisville. During this tenure, he played a pivotal role in developing Louisville’s academy, turning it into one of the most successful in the USL Championship.

This success has manifested in the promotion of six players to professional First Team contracts, with the club most recently signing 19-year-old Issac Cano this past week. Among those was Louisville native Josh Wydner, who emerged as a standout success story as he progressed through the club’s USL Academy program to earning a call-up to the United States Men’s National Team in 2023 and securing a transfer to top European club, Benfica.

Sanchez, alongside FC Tulsa, is committed to cultivating similar success stories and nurturing player pathways right here in Green Country.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Mario to the FC Tulsa family” said FC Tulsa Owner Ryan Craft. “Mario’s extensive coaching background, his dedication to player development, and his passion for the game make him the perfect fit to lead our club into the future. We are confident that his proven leadership qualities both on and off the field will elevate FC Tulsa to new heights.”

Sanchez will be joined in Tulsa by Luke Spencer, who competed for LouCity between 2017-2020 and most recently worked alongside Sanchez in the LouCity Academy. Spencer scored the game-winning goal in the 2018 USL Championship Final against Phoenix Rising FC as Louisville claimed its second league title.

The 2018 season also saw Spencer serve as one of the coaches in the club’s “Triumvirate”, joined by fellow players Paolo DelPiccolo and George Davis IV, that led the side in league and Open Cup play between the end of the tenure of James O’Connor as Head Coach and the appointment of John Hackworth as his successor later in the campaign.

“Mario and Luke have served our organization with wonderful leadership and commitment, and we wish them both the very best of luck in Tulsa — except, of course, when they play us," said O’Connor, who now serves as Soccer Holdings' President. "As with any workplace, we understand high-performing employees will get opportunities, and succession planning is a key component in how we operate. We have displayed a wonderful track record of developing people be it players, coaches or executives, and we look forward to seeing that trend continue as Guillermo [Sanchez] takes the leading role in our academies."