Charlotte FC has promoted Gary Dicker, former head coach of Crown Legacy FC, to the position of first team assistant coach under Dean Smith. Dicker replaces Christian Fuchs, who was recently named head coach at Newport County A.F.C. in EFL League Two.
“Gary has acclimated really well within the organization and was a natural choice to move up into the senior team,” said Zoran Krneta. “He built a good rapport with the Crown Legacy players and the First Team coaching staff. Gary will still be a bridge between Crown Legacy and the first team while continuing to bring new energy and ideas to the squad.”
Dicker became Crown Legacy FC’s second head coach in November 2024. During his tenure, several players progressed along Charlotte FC’s Pro Player Pathway. Notably, homegrown defender Jack Neeley debuted for Charlotte FC during a U.S. Open Cup match in May, while midfielder Baye Coulibaly signed a first team contract in September before making his MLS debut. Other Crown Legacy talents—Aron John, Emmanuel Uchegbu, Morrison Agyemang, and Willian Sangoquiza—participated in preseason activities with Charlotte FC.
In 2025, Crown Legacy saw its highest number of minutes from Academy products in one season. Eight Academy players made their professional debuts that year, including Wyatt Holt, Adrian Mendoza, and Simon Tonidandel.
Dicker joined from Brighton & Hove Albion where he was an assistant coach for their U-21 side in Premier League 2 after a 15-year playing career across Ireland, England, and Scotland. He helped Brighton achieve promotion to the EFL Championship during the 2010-11 season.
Following Dicker’s move to the first team staff, Kevin Sawchak has been promoted from assistant to head coach at Crown Legacy FC. Sawchak previously served as interim head coach in 2024 after Jose Tavares’ departure and led the club to an 8W-5L-5D record with a run to the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Kevin Martínez moves up from being Charlotte FC Academy Under-18 Head Coach to become Crown Legacy Assistant Coach. Martínez joined The Crown in August 2025 after working as an assistant at FC Dallas and holding roles with various clubs and national teams in Spain and the United States.
Charlotte Football Club is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, competing as part of Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference since joining as an expansion franchise for its inaugural season in 2022 (official website).
