FC Tucson coach Jon Pearlman has won with the Men in Black before, and will now attempt to turn around the team’s season.
In 2011, when FC Tucson’s dynamic threesome of Greg Foster, Jon Pearlman and Rick Schantz began their bold move to make Tucson the spring training headquarters for Major League Soccer — and to operate a Premier Development League franchise — it was one of the biggest successes in Tucson sports history.
Now Foster is gone, teaching at Cornell; Schantz is an assistant coach with Phoenix Rising, a USL franchise; and last week Pearlman, general manager and head coach of FC Tucson, accepted a job as GM with the USL’s Oklahoma City Energy; he will also coach their PDL team.
The man who has coached soccer at every conceivable level in Tucson also worked in the insurance business in Tucson after attending UA law school. Most recently, Pearlman was the key figure in keeping MLS spring training in Tucson.
“My passion is soccer,” Pearlman said. “I put 24/7 of my energy into the Tucson soccer community and loved every ounce of it. I am so grateful I could learn from Wolfgang Weber and Dave Cosgrove. But the opportunity in Oklahoma was one I couldn’t turn down. I am hopeful that one day I could come full circle and return to Arizona.”
Eleven MLS clubs will play 11 matches in Phoenix and Tucson, the most matches played during the MLS Preseason in Arizona. Three games will be played in Tucson, including the opening day of the Mobile Mini Sun Cup Feb. 3 at Kino Sports Complex, Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders.
Ultimately, Foster, Schantz and Pearlman sold the Tucson soccer operation to Phoenix Rising. Let’s hope the big club is more reliable than the Arizona Diamondbacks.
