After three successful seasons with Brian Crossman at the helm, the Chattanooga Football Club is looking for a new coach.
Crossman guided CFC from the soccer club's launch in 2009 through the 2011 season, going 20-10-4, but general manager Sean McDaniel said the CFC board felt it was time to go in a different direction, so Crossman's contract was not renewed.
"Brian did a spectacular job given that we were a start-up entity, and he managed a lot of things extremely well," said McDaniel, who played for Crossman at Covenant College. "The dynamic of the club has changed as we're trying to do other programs with the youth [leagues], our relationship with [Major League Soccer], and it's going to require maybe some different expertise.
"Quite frankly, it may have just been time for a change."
Crossman declined to comment on his departure but said he enjoyed his three seasons with CFC.
"With any type of new organization there's lots of scrambling," he said. "The consistent thing is that the guys have been fun to work with, worked hard in training and we've had quality players. It's been nice to see good soccer here in Chattanooga.
"Probably the biggest reward is the level of play improved each year."
Chattanooga FC went 4-3 in its first season and advanced to the National Premier Soccer League championship game in 2010. This season CFC needed only to win one of its final two games to return to the Final Four, but it came up short.
McDaniel said CFC's search for a new coach will be nationwide. Few coaches in the Chattanooga area have the experience and knowledge, as Crossman did, to coach a high-level amateur squad like CFC, so the club likely will have to bring in a coach for the summer.
Board member Tim Kelly said he expects the position to attract a great deal of interest.
"It isn't going to be hard for us to find applicants," Kelly said. "The hard thing is going to be picking one."
Through its first three seasons CFC has been run almost entirely by volunteers. The club recently hired its first full-time employee -- McDaniel's wife, Angela -- who will handle the numerous administrative responsibilities that come with bringing in a team of players for the summer.
"We [the CFC board] all work and have other things that we're responsible for," Sean McDaniel said, "and we just felt like we needed that administrative arm to keep us in line and to really enhance the whole playing experience."