Colorado Springs Switchbacks name Alan McCann as new head coach
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The Switchbacks, Colorado Springs' professional soccer team, has a new top dog.
On Tuesday, Switchbacks FC leaders announced that Alan McCann will be stepping into the club's head coach position, a role that was left unfilled after the team parted ways with its former head coach and sporting director earlier this month.
According to a statement from the team, McCann joined the Switchbacks back in February 2021 as a performance and technical analyst. Since then, he has steadily grown within the organization, eventually rising to technical director and assistant coach.
The team also said McCann played a pivotal role in helping bring the USL Championship trophy home in 2024.
"I’m ecstatic to be welcoming Alan [McCann] as our new head coach," Switchbacks President Brad Estes said. "McCann possesses a strong intellect for the tactics of the game, and more importantly, he possesses a deep understanding of how to motivate people. His drive and passion will be the perfect fit for the Switchbacks."
Before coming to Colorado Springs, McCann served as the head coach of Reading United, the Philadelphia Union’s USL League Two affiliate, in 2018 and 2019.
During that tenure, he led the team to an astounding 28-3-5 record, winning back-to-back division and conference titles and securing consecutive appearances in the USL League Two Final match. Those successes earned him USL League Two Coach of the Year honors in both seasons.
From 2018 to 2022, McCann also worked as a Scouting Director for the USL League Two Scouting Network, according to a Switchbacks release.
"It is a huge honor for me and the rest of the staff to be given this opportunity," McCann said in the release. "We have been able to achieve a few moments of club history throughout our time here. The immediate goal is to inject new energy to bring more of these moments to the city consistently. We have a committed core group of returning players and have added some new, exciting key pieces already. We’re looking forward to continuing the hard work in the off-season so that we can hit the ground running for the 2026 season.”
The announcement comes just two weeks after the Switchbacks parted ways with now-former head coach James Chambers and former sporting director Stephen Hogan. No reasoning was provided for their departures.
"Both Stephen and James made meaningful contributions to the growth and success of the Switchbacks organization and the Colorado Springs community," read a release from the Switchbacks. "We extend our sincere gratitude for their dedication and achievements during their time with the Switchbacks and wish them the very best in their future endeavors."
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