BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A new era is set to begin for Birmingham Legion FC as it announced on Wednesday that it has tabbed Mark Briggs to become the club’s second head coach in its history.
A native of Wolverhampton – just outside of Birmingham, England – Briggs now makes his way to Birmingham, Alabama as the 43-year-old takes the coaching reigns of his fourth club. He will serve his first match when Legion FC travels to face the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday, May 3. He will then make his debut in front of the home crowd at Protective Stadium on Wednesday, May 14 against Rhode Island FC, with tickets for that match on sale now.
“I’m so grateful to Legion FC for giving me this opportunity,” said Briggs as he gets set to embark on his eighth season as a head coach. “In meeting with staff and ownership, I love the direction and I love the vision. It’s a fantastic club that has top facilities. And then you look at the roster and you understand that there is a lot that can be achieved here. I look forward to building something here in Birmingham.”
Viewed by many as one of the sport’s up-and-coming coaching talents, Briggs takes over at Legion FC and returns to the USL Championship following a successful five-year stint with Sacramento Republic FC. In 170 games with the club, Briggs led SRFC to 74 wins and 49 draws.
With Briggs, Sacramento reached the USL-C playoffs on four occasions, including a run to the Western Conference Finals in 2023. The highlight came in 2022 when he and the Republic made it to the Finals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup as a second division club, the first time since 2008 that had happened in the tournament.
“We are thrilled to welcome Mark as the next head coach of Birmingham Legion FC,” said CEO and Chief Soccer Officer Jay Heaps. “He is a proven winner with extensive USL experience and is known for building strong team culture, developing players and driving success on the pitch. We are excited about the future of Legion FC under Mark’s direction.”
Prior to his time in Sacramento, Briggs first made waves in the USL as the coach of Real Monarchs from 2017-18. The club took home the Players’ Shield by posting a 20-7-5 record to clinch the first postseason berth in its history, with Briggs being named 2017 USL Coach of the Year for his outstanding efforts.
“I think it’s critical to know the league and have experience in it,” Briggs explained. “It helps you understand how the players think and what they need. Having had previous success in the league, it helps me better understand what it takes to be successful and compete with top teams.”
Briggs’ methodology as a coach comes from a well-traveled playing career that began as a top youth prospect in the West Bromwich Albion academy where he earned Youth Team Player of the Year as the captain in 1999. He signed his first professional contract at 17 years of age and would go on to log 12 first team appearances with West Brom from 2000-03.
After his time in England, Briggs would make the move to the United States in 2008 with USL club Kalamazoo Outrage.
Briggs would go on to make further appearances with USL clubs towards the end of his career, including the Charleston Battery in 2010 and a pair of stints with the Wilmington Hammerheads in 2009 and 2012-13 before joining the staff and putting him on a new trajectory as a coach.
“We want to create a culture where everybody who works for this football club plays an important role in our success,” said Briggs, touching on ideals that he learned as a player and applied to his coaching style. “It’s about treating people the right way and making people feel special in what they do, then it’s about implementing a vision that can be bought into.
“I think coaching is the best job in the world and I’m grateful that this club believes in me. I want to repay that belief by creating a culture and getting results. We want to win games, so the importance to the details that allow you to win games have to be understood and valued.”
Briggs now becomes Legion FC’s coach, following the club parting ways with Tom Soehn on April 9. Eric Avila served as the interim head coach for three matches and posted a pair of home wins over El Paso Locomotive FC and Chattanooga Red Wolves SC in the opening match of the 2025 USL Jagermeister Cup. Avila will remain on the coaching staff, reassuming his role as first team assistant coach.
Single-game tickets and season ticket plans are still available for Legion FC’s 2025 campaign. Fans can get theirs today by visiting bhmlegion.com/tickets.
