Crown Legacy FC names Gary Dicker head coach 

PAUL HAZELWOOD BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION FC

Gary Dicker, assistant coach for Brighton & Hove Albion FC's under-21 team in Premier League 2, is Crown Legacy's new head coach.

Crown Legacy FC has a successor to founding coach Jose Tavares.

Gary Dicker joins the MLS Next Pro development team of Charlotte FC from English club Brighton & Hove Albion, where he most recently served as an assistant for the U21 side in the Premier League 2. Tavares resigned in June to rejoin his family in Portugal.

Tavares, who created an efficient but accountable sense of family culture with Crown Legacy, returned to FC Porto, his previous club. Porto has a strong reputation for developing talent, as does Brighton, whose first team is sixth in the Premier League on goal differential but even on points with third place Chelsea, Arsenal, and Nottingham Forest. They downed Manchester City 2-1 last last week.

“Gary is a young manager who fits perfectly into what we are building at Crown Legacy FC,” CLTFC Technical Director Tommy Wilson said. “Hiring Gary from a top English Premier League club is a testament to the strength of our organization, and a statement of intent which shows we are focused on player development. His track record at Brighton makes him the ideal candidate to lead us forward, and we are excited to bring him onboard.”

Originally from Dublin, Ireland, Dicker, 38, spent four years with Albion as a player, helping the club win League One in 2011. He made 153 first team appearances before moving to the coaching side in 2021, first as player-coach for the U23 squad. He moved into the role of U18 professional development coach and was promoted to U21 assistant manager in 2022.

In an article on Brighton’s website, academy manager Ian Buckman said, “Gary has been an excellent addition to the academy setup and we’re sad to see him go, but this is a hugely exciting opportunity for him and his family.

“It’s been great to see Gary really grow as a coach, making a significant contribution to our programme, and help a number of young players make the step up to senior football. We wish him the very best of luck for the future.”

Said Crown Legacy President Darrius Barnes: “Gary’s appointment furthers our strategic approach to the pro-player pathway which has been fruitful since launching CLFC in 2023. We are excited to bring in Gary and believe he has the experience and knowledge to not only develop and progress our young talent within Crown Legacy FC but also create a winning environment that aspires for excellence.”

Legacy of Crown Legacy

While they are a competitive team on the third tier of the professional soccer structure in the U.S., equal to USL League One, the prime directive of Crown Legacy is developing talent for Charlotte FC, for athletes recruited directly, players coming through the MLS SuperDraft, and those rising from the CLTFC academy.

In just two seasons, Legacy has been very effective at that. Players who have moved to the first team include Chituru Odunze, Joao Pedro, Nikola Petkovic and Iuri Tavares. Nick Holliday is currently on a Legacy contract but has a guaranteed first team deal.

SuperDraft picks Patrick Agyemang, Brandon Cambridge, and Andrew Privett all spent time with Legacy before cementing first team status.

Academy players who have played for Legacy and achieved first team contracts includes homegrown players Nimfasha Berchimas, Jack Neeley and Brian Romero. Charlotte native Aron John, who had eight goals and 10 assists this season to earn 2024 MLS Next Pro Best XI, is guaranteed a future homegrown contract. The academy currently includes at least 90 players athletes across four age groups.

Legacy is also an option for first-team players returning from injury to get playing time on their return to MLS. That’s why 40 different players appeared for the Legacy this past season.

Learning how to win

They’ve also been very good on the competitive side, finishing first (19-4-5) in the Eastern Conference of MLS Next Pro in their first season under Tavares, equal on 66 points with West winner Colorado Rapids 2.

When Tavares and top assistant Pedro Mane left, assistant coach Kevin Sawchak was promoted to interim coach for the remainder of the 2024 season. Legacy finished eighth in the Eastern Conference of the 29-team league and beat FC Cincinnati 2 in the first round of the playoffs before going out to Philadelphia Union II on penalty kicks. The Union lost to North Texas in the Next Pro final.

Coming to America

“This chance to go to America though is a really exciting one for me and my family,” Dicker said on the BHA website, “but it wouldn’t have come about without the Albion and the coaching education that they’ve given me.”

“I am excited and grateful to become the next head coach of Crown Legacy FC,” Dicker said in a club release. “I believe my coaching experience will be beneficial to developing and attracting the next generation of footballers for Charlotte FC. The club’s philosophy and dedication to bringing through the next generation of talent made this an opportunity I could not pass up.”

Around the Crown

The MLS season may be over for Charlotte FC but not for all the players. Liel Abada started for Israel in a 0-0 draw against France in Paris, and Jere Uronen was in the first eleven for Finland in 1-0 loss to Ireland in UEFA Nations League play on Wednesday. Tim Ream was a starter for the U.S. against Jamaica on the same day. Karol Swiderski is expected to start against Portugal on Thursday.

Nimfasha Berchimas is with the U.S. Under-19 Men’s Youth National Team at a training camp in West Palm Beach, Florida from Nov. 11-17. Academy defender Jeremiah Alexander-Munoz is with the U.S. U15 Men’s Youth National Team at a training camp in Fayetteville, Georgia, Nov. 14-20.

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