Louisville City FC Head Coach Danny Cruz and Detroit City FC Head Coach Danny Dichio were honored this month as part of the graduation class of the 2025 U.S. Soccer Pro Coaching License course.

The duo was part of a 12-person class that also included Cruz’s counterpart at Racing Louisville FC Beverly Yanez, former El Paso Locomotive FC and Indy Eleven Head Coach Mark Lowry, now of Real Monarchs SLC, and current Orlando Pride Head Coach Sebastian Hines.

Appointed early in the 2021 season, Cruz recently became the longest-tenured Head Coach in the USL Championship. He is coming off consecutive years in which he has earned the league’s Coach of the Year award after record-setting campaigns at Louisville City that has seen the side claim consecutive USL Championship Players’ Shields.

During the 2025 season, the 35-year-old became both the youngest Head Coach to reach 100 victories in the USL Championship, and the quickest to reach the landmark, doing so in just 169 games. Cruz has posted an overall record of 104-37-34 across the regular season and playoffs, with LouCity setting a single-season record with a 2.43 points-per-game mark in 2025.

“The U.S. Soccer Pro License has been one of the most influential courses I have taken,” said Cruz. “I feel that I walk away from the experience a better leader, a better coach, and with a clearer understanding of who I am from a leadership perspective. I want to thank our instructors Didier [Chambaron], Barry [Pauwels], and Ben [Bartlett] for the time they spent with us throughout the journey. I was fortunate to make so many new relationships throughout the course and I will be forever grateful for the experience.”

Dichio will enter his third season at Detroit City FC in 2026 having this week signed a multi-year contract extension with the club. The former Premier League player guided Le Rouge to the postseason in each of his first two years at the helm, and led his side to a remarkable upset victory against Cruz and Louisville City in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2025 USL Championship Playoffs.

Prior to his appointment in Detroit, Dichio had served as an assistant coach at Sacramento Republic FC, where he was part of then-Head Coach Mark Briggs’ staff during Republic FC’s run to the Final of the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

“Obtaining the highest diploma in soccer education in North America is a milestone I’m incredibly proud of,” said Dichio. “This in-depth course challenged me to reflect honestly on my coaching journey – where I’ve been, the lessons I’ve learned, and the standards I must continue to uphold as I move forward. Completing this license represents growth, sacrifice, and a renewed commitment to the game and to the players & staff I serve.

“I’m deeply grateful to the U.S. Soccer Federation and its exceptional staff – Ben, Barry and Didier – for creating an environment that pushes coaches to think, adapt, and lead at the highest level. Thank you as well to Detroit City FC for the constant support and belief throughout this journey.”

2025 U.S. Soccer Pro Course Graduates

Kenneth Bundy (Asst. Coach, Houston Dynamo FC)
Jimmy Coenraets (Head Coach, Utah Royals FC)
Danny Cruz (Head Coach, Louisville City FC)
Danny Dichio (Head Coach, Detroit City FC
Robert Gale (Head Coach, previously Portland Thorns FC)
Sebastian Hines (Head Coach, Orlando Pride FC)
Mark Lowry (Head Coach, Real Monarchs SLC)
Tyrone Marshall (Head Coach, previously FC Cincinnati 2)
Ricardo Paez (Asst. Coach, FC Cincinnati)
Marcelo Santos (Head Coach, Houston Dynamo 2)
Becki Tweed (Asst. Coach, San Diego Wave FC)
Beverly Yanez (Head Coach, Racing Louisville FC)