Fort Wayne FC used the 2025 season as an extended tryout to identify key pieces for its first professional season in USL League One in 2026. The man that guided the team to its third consecutive division championship this summer, Mike Avery, will get the opportunity to coach Fort Wayne’s first professional team as the club announced on Tuesday it had signed him to coach the club in 2026.

“I appreciate the trust that the club has put in me, and I'm humbled by that,” Avery said. “I also feel like I'm ready for it. I think I've spent my entire career prepping for a moment like this one to come, and so I'm excited to see what we can do with it.”

The move gives Fort Wayne a measure of continuity, as Avery, 57, has coached the club since its first season in 2021. In his five seasons, Avery has

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