Get the Irn Bru ready!

Sacramento Republic FC made a major splash on Saturday morning as it appointed Neill Collins as its new Head Coach, securing the 41-year-old as its new manager after his short stay at Scottish Championship club Raith Rovers.

Even with some notable other coaching vacancies still open such as that at New Mexico United, it’s hard to think of a name that will top Collins’ return to the USL Championship. That’s the resume the former Tampa Bay Rowdies manager brings with him and serves as a clear signal that Republic FC is going to leave no stone unturned in search of its second league title in 2025.

• WINNING HISTORY: Collins’ six seasons in Tampa Bay were an unqualified success. Since his appointment midway through the 2018 season the Rowdies posted a 94-42-34 record across the regular season and playoffs, winning a Players’ Shield in 2021 and two Eastern Conference titles in 2020 and 2021.

• MR. CONSISTENCY: Collins’ winning percentage of 55.3 percent ranks second among the longest-tenured coaches in league history, ahead of all three coaches who have won at least 100 games in the league, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC’s Bob Lilley (48.1%), former Charleston Battery Head Coach Mike Anhaeuser (42%) and Mark Briggs (44.4%), whom Collins takes the reins from. Only Louisville City boss Danny Cruz (56.9%) ranks higher.

• PERFECTLY BALANCED: The Rowdies achieved their success with an ideal balance of attack and defense. Among teams that played at least 120 games during Collins’ tenure, Tampa Bay ranked in the top three in goals scored (301) and conceded (165), the only team to do so. The club’s underlying numbers were also cooking, ranking third in Expected Goals (303.5xG) and second in Expected Goals Against (167.3xGA) for a league-best Expected Goal Differential of 136.2xGD. By way of comparison, Louisville City – the only team to record more wins during Collins’ tenure at the Rowdies – came in at a 113.3xGD.

That’s the sort of resume that gets a team like Republic FC – which has come agonizingly close to silverware over the past three seasons – to make a move this audacious, triggering the release clause in Collins’ contract with Raith Rovers to bring him aboard.

“We are delighted to welcome Neill and his family to Sacramento,” said Republic FC President and General Manager Todd Dunivant. “His history of success in USL, combined with a steady demeanor and well-respected reputation, align with our pursuit of championship hardware. Neill is a proven winner, a fantastic leader, and we have no doubts he is the right man to lead our club forward.”

Expectations are always high in Sacramento, maybe even more so now with the arrival of the club’s new ownership group Wilton Rancheria and the promise of the Railyards Stadium now finally moving forward.

With that, the spotlight on Collins’ start at Heart Health Park this season with a talented returning roster is going to be very bright, particularly for the opening game of the season against New Mexico, which usurped Republic FC as the first-place side in the Western Conference this past campaign.

Don’t expect that to overawe Collins one bit. He’s remained as fierce a competitor as a manager as he was a player and understands the job he’s been hired to do.

That, as much as anything, should put the rest of the league on notice.