FC Cincinnati 2 Head Coach Tyrone Marshall has been named the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro Coach of the Year, the league announced today. Award voting was based on results from club technical staff, league broadcasters and the MLS NEXT Pro content team.
Marshall was one of four finalists for the award alongside North Texas SC’s Michel Garbini, Philadelphia Union II’s Marlon LeBlanc and St. Louis CITY2’s Bobby Murphy.
In his third season as head coach for FC Cincinnati 2, Marshall led the Orange and Blue to the club’s most successful campaign to date, going 16-8-4 and earning the top seed in the Eastern Conference. FCC 2 set single-season club records in wins (16), points (54) and goals scored (47), and a first-ever appearance in the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs.
Under Marshall’s guidance, a number of first year, and returning MLS NEXT Pro players, enjoyed breakout campaigns including co-leading goal scorers Kenji Mboma Dem and Ben Stitz. Mboma Dem finished the year with seven goals and five assists, leading the team in total goal contributions while Stitz became the club’s all-time leading goal scorer (14) and matched last season’s goal total in less minutes while adding three assists.
The Orange and Blue earned a first-ever win over Columbus Crew 2 in a 1-0 win at Lower.com Field in the club’s first shutout of the season. FC Cincinnati 2 would finish the year with seven clean sheet performances while allowing the third fewest goals in MLS NEXT Pro (34). FC Cincinnati’s first round 2024 MLS SuperDraft selection Brian Schaefer led the back line making 27 starts. Schaefer was also named an honorable mention in the league’s Best XI.
Marshall joined the FC Cincinnati organization in February 2021. He served as the FC Cincinnati Academy U19 Head Coach before being named interim head coach of the first team at the end of the 2021 season and FC Cincinnati 2’s first head coach ahead of their inaugural season in 2022. In his playing career, Marshall made over 300 MLS appearances with five different clubs between 1998 and 2012.
He is a two-time winner of MLS Cup (2002 and 2005 – LA Galaxy) and a three-time Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup winner (2005 – LA Galaxy, 2009 and 2010 – Seattle Sounders FC). The Jamaican international appeared over 85 times in his career with his national team, scoring five goals.
Marshall and the Orange and Blue face Crown Legacy FC in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals on Sunday, October 20 at 7 p.m. ET at Scudamore Field at NKU Soccer Stadium. The match will air live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
