CHARLOTTE (CHARLOTTE SPORTS LIVE) — The head coach and an assistant coach of Crown Legacy FC, Charlotte FC’s reserve team, are stepping down, the team announced on Wednesday.
Head coach Jose Tavares and assistant coach Pedro Mane will leave the club after Thursday’s home match against Philadelphia Union II.
The team says assistant coach Kevin Sawchak will take over as the interim head coach, and Charlotte FC Academy coach Jorge Herrera will join CLFC on an interim basis. The team will begin a full coaching search immediately.
Tavares said he will return to FC Porto where he will be the Academy General Manager.
“I have decided to leave Crown Legacy FC with the intention to move closer to my family in Portugal,” Tavares said. “I would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Tepper, Zoran, Darrius, Bobby and the rest of the Charlotte FC organization for trusting me in this project. The opportunity to help shape the foundations of CLFC and establish a proven professional pathway will always be something I hold special in my heart.”
Tavares and Mane joined the CLTFC organization in August 2022, helping build the club from the ground up and assisting in its “pilot program” ahead of Crown Legacy FC’s first season.
“I am grateful for the opportunity that the Charlotte FC and Crown Legacy FC organization has given me,” Mane said. “I would like to thank everyone at the Club for showing me kindness and letting me be a part of this project. As I move back to Portugal to be closer to my family, I will always be appreciative of my time in Charlotte and cherish the memories we have made together. I hope that the Club will continue to build on what we collectively built and see great success in its future.”
Since the club’s inception, there have been multiple Crown Legacy FC players who earned minutes with CLTFC including Patrick Agyemang, Andrew Privett and Minfasha Berchimas.
In the club’s first season, it earned a league-best 66 points, 19 wins and an undefeated home record before losing in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Currently, the team has 17 points and sit 10th in the Eastern Conference.
“We would like to thank Jose and Pedro for their time and dedication to Crown Legacy FC and the Charlotte FC organization,” Crown Legacy FC President Darrius Barnes said. “Both have been instrumental in building the foundation of the Club and its early success. We respect their decision to move back to Portugal for personal reasons and wish them all the best in their future endeavors. They will always be a part of our Crown Legacy FC and Charlotte FC family.”