There’s a new boss in charge at Birmingham Legion FC.

Former USL Championship Coach of the Year Mark Briggs was appointed as the second Head Coach in the club’s history on Wednesday, with the English manager set to take charge of his first game this Saturday when Legion visits the Tampa Bay Rowdies at Al Lang Stadium.

“I’m so grateful to Legion FC for giving me this opportunity,” said Briggs. “In meeting with staff and ownership, I love the direction, and I love the vision. It’s a fantastic club that has top facilities. And then you look at the roster and you understand that there is a lot that can be achieved here. I look forward to building something here in Birmingham.”

So, what should Legion fans expect from its new sideline leader?

• DEEP RESUME: Birmingham will be Briggs’ fourth stop as a Head Coach, having previously led the Wilmington Hammerheads – which he led as a player to the 2012 USL Championship Final – in 2016 before stints at Real Monarchs SLC in which he led the side to the Players’ Shield in 2017 and five seasons at Sacramento Republic FC, where he guided the club to the 2022 U.S. Open Cup Final.

• HISTORY OF SUCCESS: Briggs is currently the third-winningest head coach in the Championship’s history with 109 victories across the regular season and playoffs in his three prior stops. He also ranks ninth all-time in points-per-game among coaches with at least 100 games under their belts, averaging 1.62ppg in the regular season.

• BUILDING BACK: One of the hallmarks of Briggs’ teams in Sacramento over the past five seasons was their defensive strength. Over 150 regular season games, Republic FC allowed only 153 goals – third fewest in the league between 2020-24. For a Legion side that has allowed more than 50 goals in each of the past two seasons, it’s a key starting point for a side aiming to push up the Eastern standings.

Briggs’ sides weren’t slouches in attack – at Republic FC they recorded 208 goals in the regular season and arguably underperformed slightly with an Expected Goals mark of 214.29xG in that span – and with players like Danny Trejo, Ronaldo Damus and Tyler Pasher at his disposal, this could be a very entertaining team if all the pieces are healthy.

With some key games coming up in May – including visits from Rhode Island FC and Detroit City FC and an important USL Jägermeister Cup clash with FC Tulsa to close – it will be important for Legion to hit the ground running, but we’re intrigued as to what Briggs can offer this squad as he takes the helm.