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Schantz Appointed Head Coach of Phoenix Rising FC

By USLSoccer.com Staff, 11/14/18, 5:49PM EST

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Club removes interim tag after successful run to USL Western Conference Championship


Phoenix Rising FC Head Coach Rick Schantz and defender Joe Farrell celebrate the club's victory in the Western Conference Final of the 2018 USL Cup Playoffs. | Photo courtesy Michael Rincon / Phoenix Rising FC

PHOENIX – Rick Schantz was appointed as the fourth Head Coach in Phoenix Rising FC’s history on Wednesday as the club removed the interim tag from the man who led the club to the USL’s Western Conference Championship earlier this month.

“Rick has been a foundational leader for the soccer operations of Phoenix Rising FC since the team’s inception,” said Rising FC Governor Berke Bakay.  “He has provided continuity and uninterrupted success for the team and has worked very hard and thoughtfully to earn the title of Head Coach for Phoenix Rising FC.”

In addition to Schantz, Rising FC announced it would also retain assistant coaches Blair Gavin and Peter Ramage and goalkeeper coach Cory Robertson.

Schantz took the reins as interim head coach on June 10th following the departure of Patrice Carteron, who left the club to manage Egyptian powerhouse Al Ahly FC. Schantz went unbeaten in his first four matches in charge and was named USL Coach of the Month for June for his stellar start. Rising FC compiled a 12-7-1 record under Schantz during the rest of the 2018 regular season to finish in third place in the Western Conference, and then proceeded to sweep to its first silverware in club history in the postseason.

Schantz led the club to its first victory in the USL Cup Playoffs on October 19, a 3-0 win against the Portland Timbers 2. That was followed by a 4-2 win against defending Western Conference champion the Swope Park Rangers in front of a club-record crowd of 7,707 at the Phoenix Rising Soccer Complex, and a 2-1 victory against Orange County SC in the Western Conference Final. 

Phoenix’s quest for the 2018 USL Cup came up just short in a 1-0 defeat to Louisville City FC, but Schantz is now eager to renew the club’s goal of remaining at the forefront of the challengers for the title in the 2019 season.

“It has been the greatest learning experience of my career to serve among the stellar coaching staff at Phoenix Rising FC,” said Schantz.  “I appreciate the confidence in me shown by the team’s owners, administrators, players and fans, and am incredibly honored to be named Head Coach of Phoenix Rising FC.”

Schantz joined the Rising FC coaching staff as an assistant coach on January 9, 2017. Prior to joining the club, Schantz was the Head coach for then-USL League Two club FC Tucson. During his tenure, FC Tucson compiled a record of 71-22-17 (a .645 winning percentage) and won three consecutive division titles. He also helped the team reach the Western Conference Finals in three consecutive seasons. In 2013, he led FC Tucson into the Third Round of the U.S. Open Cup, eliminating two professional clubs in the process. 

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