Charlotte FC fires head coach Christian Lattanzio
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Christian Lattanzio. Photo: Andy Weber/Axios
Charlotte FC has sacked head coach Christian Lattanzio. The club is now searching for its third head coach.
Assistant coach Andy Quy is also out, per a statement from the team Wednesday morning.
Why it matters: Tepper Sports and Entertainment, the organization that owns Charlotte FC and the Carolina Panthers, continues to see wave after wave of exits, from executive staff to head coaches.
Catch up quick: Lattanzio was hired as an assistant coach in 2021. He replaced head coach Miguel Angel Ramirez as interim head coach, who was fired in June 2022 after less than a year with the club.
- Lattanzio signed a two-year deal as head coach in October and led the team to its first playoff appearance this season.
- He was credited with steadying the ship after a rocky inaugural season in 2022. Owner David Tepper told reporters in January Lattanzio helped “lift the team up” after defender Anton Walkes died during preseason.
What they’re saying: “We undertook an offseason evaluation of our organization and we’re confident this move is in the best interest of the club for 2024 and beyond,” Charlotte FC president Joe LaBue said in the statement.
What’s next: Charlotte FC will not have an interim head coach as it is the offseason, per a club spokesperson.
- A new head coach should be in place by the end of the year, according to sources familiar with the matter who are not authorized to discuss the process.
- “Out of respect to all prospective candidates, we will not have further comment at this time,” Charlotte FC sporting director Zoran Krneta said in the statement.