CINCINNATI -- FC Cincinnati head coach Alan Koch was voted the United Soccer League "coach of the year," the league announced Tuesday.
Koch led FC Cincinnati to earn the USL regular season championship, despite bringing in 21 new players during the season. The team finished with a 23-3-8 overall record and set single-season records for points and wins, as well as a record for its 23-game regular-season undefeated streak from June 2 to Oct. 13.
"It's an individual award, but to receive a 'coach of the year' award, you don't really do it by yourself," Koch said. "It's impossible to win by yourself as a coach. Your players obviously go and perform and get results, but you need a staff around you to achieve your collective goals."
Jeff Berding, FC Cincinnati's president, said the honor for Koch "is well deserved."
"We could not have picked a better person to lead our club on the field. Alan has been a winner and a fantastic partner as we’ve built our club. He has a unique understanding that we are all in this together, pulling in the same direction to create the most success," Berding said. "His clear vision and goals – and the execution of these plans – have been a pleasure for our entire community to follow. We are so fortunate that we have Alan as our head coach, and we’re very excited to see him lead the team as we move up to MLS next season."
The league also voted FC Cincinnati center back Forrest Lasso as the USL "defender of the year." Emmanuel Ledesma is in the running for USL MVP, which will be announced Wednesday.
