BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Birmingham Legion FC announced on Wednesday it had appointed Mark Briggs as its new Head Coach. The veteran manager joins the club ahead of its contest against the Tampa Bay Rowdies this Saturday at Al Lang Stadium.

A native of Birmingham, England, Briggs now comes to his hometown's sister city in Alabama for the fourth stop in his coaching career in the Championship. Briggs ranks third in coaching victories in the Championship’ history, posting a 109-68-67 record previously at Wilmington Hammerheads FC, Real Monarchs SLC and most recently at Sacramento Republic FC.

During his tenure in Sacramento, Republic FC reached the USL Championship Playoffs on four occasions. In 2023 the side finished top of the Western Conference and reached the Western Conference Final in the postseason. The highlight of Briggs' tenure, however, came in 2022 when he and Republic FC made history by reaching the Final of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, marking the first time since 2008 that a lower-division club had advanced to that stage of the tournament.

"We are thrilled to welcome Mark as the next head coach of Birmingham Legion FC," said Legion CEO and Chief Soccer Officer Jay Heaps. "He is a proven winner with extensive USL experience and is known for building strong team culture, developing players and driving success on the pitch. We are excited about the future of Legion FC under Mark's direction."

Prior to his time in Sacramento, Briggs first made waves in the USL as the coach of the Monarchs between 2017-18. The club earned the Players’ Shield in 2017, posting a 20-7-5 record to clinch the first postseason berth in its history, and Briggs being named 2017 USL Championship Coach of the Year for his work.

He began his coaching career in the USL with the Wilmington Hammerheads where he coached for one season in 2016.