Lexington SC has got its new boss. Literally.

Last week, Terry Boss was introduced as the club’s new Head Coach as it moves to the USL Championship for the 2025 season, arriving after serving as an assistant coach at Austin FC of Major League Soccer for the past two seasons.

And the Oregon native arrives not only with a strong resume but a clear intent of how he wants to go about his new position.

“You have to be true to who you are,” Boss told media at his introduction. “That was one of my things with the ownership group, I was really clear about how we want to go about the game, how we want to win, and with that alignment we just felt energized.”

That alignment is going to be crucial as Lexington looks to raise its level after two underwhelming seasons in USL League One.

• GROWING PAINS: Lexington certainly hasn’t lacked ambition since joining the professional ranks, making some high-profile signings in League One in pursuit of success. Things never came together consistently, however, as the side missed the postseason in both campaigns and failed to advance from the group stage in the USL Jägermeister Cup this year.

• WINNING SPIRIT: From his experiences as a player and coach, Boss has the potential to change that. While his playing career was cut short due to multiple concussions, his path included stops at the New York Red Bulls and Seattle Sounders FC after being voted USL Second Division Goalkeeper of the Year with the Charlotte Eagles in 2008. As a coach, he made Oregon State a national power in the college ranks, posting a 49-23-15 record over five seasons before joining Austin FC’s staff.

• STEPPING UP: Boss’ experiences – which also include serving as goalkeepers coach for the United States Men’s National Team in 2019 under Gregg Berhalter – bring him to his new position, where he has high hopes. “I enjoyed being a college coach, being an assistant with the national team and being an assistant with Austin last year, but I think eventually you want to continue to learn, evolve, and grow as a coach,” he said. “You ultimately want to take the ideas you do learn and implement them yourself.”

There was, to be fair, the regular coach-speak you get at introductory press conferences – I’ve yet to hear a coach say they didn’t want to control the game with and without the ball and play an attacking style of football when they’re speaking to media for the first time – but what might have been most revealing is Boss seems to understand what he can bring to the table, and where he’s going to need help.

“It’s also important we hire a good staff around us, that we’re balanced and we’re able to push each other,” said Boss. “I know my strengths, I know my weaknesses, and to be able to have guys come in and fill those spaces is really important to make sure the guys are able to succeed and do everything we’re asking them to do.”

What Lexington is aiming to accomplish as it lands in the Championship isn’t unheard of. It’s the sort of turnaround we’ve seen put into place at places like the Charleston Battery when it hired Ben Pirmann ahead of the 2023 season, and Las Vegas Lights FC this year as Sporting Director Gianleonardo Neglia and Head Coach Dennis Sanchez – who also came from Austin’s organization – rebuilt a squad from scratch to reach the postseason for the first time.

As in those projects, Lexington is going to have plenty of roster turnover this offseason. The club has announced six players will be returning, including its two leading scorers from 2024 in Cameron Lancaster and Ates Diouf. It’s going to be up to Boss and his staff to build those players and numerous newcomers into a successful squad.

It’s a big task, but one that bears watching closely.

This is an excerpt from The Rondo, the USL Championship's free Weekly Newsletter. Sign up to receive stories like this and more each week directly to your inbox: www.uslchampionship.com/newlsetter