December 12, 2023 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Charlotte FC News Release
Charlotte FC announced the Club’s new head coach today, bringing in Dean Smith to lead the charge into year three.
The name Dean Smith already holds plenty of weight here in the Carolinas. When you search “Who is Dean Smith?” in the States, you’ll most likely get the late, legendary basketball coach at UNC Chapel Hill.
So, to acknowledge the elephant in the room… no, Charlotte FC clearly did not hire that Dean Smith. The Club didn’t go down the Ted Lasso route, although the jokes will surely keep rolling in on social media.
Charlotte FC’s Dean Smith has plenty of pedigree of his own, both as a manager and as a player in England, most notably leading Aston Villa to Premier League promotion and establishing them as a mainstay in the league.
On the Carolina note, though, he does have some significant connections to the community through his son Jamie, which Caleb Adams dove into earlier this week.
Related: Dean Smith’s Connection to the Carolinas Runs Deeper Than Just His Name
Before that, however, let’s dive into Smith’s coaching pedigree to see how his journey in England has led him to the Queen City.
Aston Villa Success
First, the headline. Smith became a household name in England for his exploits with Aston Villa in the Premier League.
The Englishman took over Villa in October 2018, with the club sitting in 15th place in the English Championship (the second division). It was a homecoming of sorts to the club that he supported as a boy growing up in England. He quickly revitalized the team, leading them in a charge up the table to the promotion playoff places.
The team broke a 109-year-old club record on the way as they cruised to 10 consecutive league victories in the spring. A young Jack Grealish was the centerpiece, and Smith made the dangerous attacker his captain late in the campaign.
Once they got to the playoffs, Smith orchestrated an effective knockout run, as they took down West Brom in the semifinals before defeating Derby County 2-1 in the Playoff Final – known as the most expensive match in the world because it delivers the riches, glitz, and glamor of the Premier League.
It was undeniably the crowning achievement of Smith’s rise as a manager. He went from League One with Walsall, to the Championship with Brentford, and ultimately to the Premier League with his hometown club. It’s a classic Hollywood story of a local boy leaving to make his name and returning to lead his…
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