SANDY, Utah (Friday, January 14, 2022) – Real Salt Lake Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni announced today the addition of Brett Jacobs to his coaching staff ahead of the 2022 season. Jacobs joins Mastroeni’s staff having spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach for Nashville SC.
Jacobs rounds out Mastroeni’s staff, joining assistant coach Matt Taylor and goalkeeper coach Ignacio “Nacho” Hernandez for the 2022 season.
“I’m incredibly excited to welcome Brett to Real Salt Lake and to what we’re building here in Utah,” Mastroeni said. “I’ve known Brett for many years and as a player I had the opportunity to experience his commitment to individual development along with the team. He brings with him an incredible résumé both in MLS and abroad. It was important to bring someone who fits the culture of this Club and shares the same passion that we all do here at RSL. Please help me in welcoming Brett to the RSL Family.”
Jacobs joined Nashville SC and Head Coach Gary Smith’s staff ahead of its inaugural season in MLS in 2020, helping to guide the club to a third-place regular season finish in 2021 and playoff appearances in Nashville’s first two seasons in the league. Prior to joining Nashville, Jacobs coached Mastroeni at the Colorado Rapids from 2008 to 2013 and in that span won the 2010 MLS Cup, saw double-digit wins in multiple seasons and competed in the CONCACAF Champions League.
With over 25 years of domestic and international experience and multiple levels from youth to professional – including time as a National Staff Instructor for U.S. Soccer – Jacobs brings a wealth of experience to RSL’s coaching staff for 2022. Prior to his arrival in Colorado, Jacobs saw over nine years of Director of Coaching experience having served time with the Michigan State Soccer Association and the Massachusetts State Soccer Association. Jacobs is also one of the first American coaches to work in the English Football Associations Academy system, serving as a full-time coach for Wimbledon Football Club from 2002-2004 along with the Portuguese U-18 National team in 2011. Jacobs holds a U.S. Soccer A License, UEFA B License and an NSCAA Premiere Diploma.
“I’m so eager to get on board with Pablo and his staff. We have a lot of history together and I think it’s a very special time in Salt Lake,” Jacobs said. “In my opinion RSL is and has been one of the standard bearers in MLS. The infrastructures here are world class and the goal now is to enhance the success of last season and build a ruthless winning culture. I’m going to give it everything for the players, for the Club and for the city.”
Real Salt Lake finished the 2021 season in dramatic fashion, booking its place in the Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs on Decision Day before making a run to the Western Conference Final following a 14-14-6 regular season record. RSL will open the 2022 season on the road against Houston Dynamo FC on February 27 before returning to Rio Tinto Stadium for the home opener against Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday, March 7.
ABOUT REAL SALT LAKE
Real Salt Lake kicks off its 18th Major League Soccer season this Spring, its first full season under Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni, who led the Utah side for the final 100 days last year, advancing to the 2021 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for the 11th time in the last 14 years.
During the first week of January, 2022, the RSL compendium of properties was acquired by global sports entrepreneur David Blitzer – who boasts interests in the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA), the New Jersey Devils (NHL), and six European soccer entities, including Crystal Palace (England), FC Augburg (Germany), Estoril (Portugal), ADO Den Haag (Netherlands), Alcorcon (Spain) and Waasland-Beveren (Belgium). The new ownership group also includes Utah-based Smith Entertainment Group, which owns the Utah Jazz (NBA), led by Ryan Smith.
The club's MLS Cup 2009 victory marked the state of Utah's only major professional championship in nearly 40 years, the title preceding an historic run to the 2010/11 CONCACAF Champions League Final. Buoyed by a passionate base boasting several thousand season ticket holders, RSL has enjoyed a prominent home-field advantage – posting a dominant 145-43-46 (Win-Loss-Draw) record across all competitions at home (2.06 points per game for a 0.771 win pct.) – since building its permanent Rio Tinto Stadium home in Sandy 13 years ago.
In 2015, the club expanded its development pyramid with the addition of Real Monarchs SLC, one of several MLS-operated clubs playing in the USL Championship, the United States' Division II setup. The Monarchs boast a pair of titles in its brief history, as the 2017 USL regular-season champions, later winning the USL Final in 2019. For the 2022 season and beyond, Real Monarchs will compete in the newly-launched “MLS NEXT Pro” as part of a joint United States and Canada endeavor to complete the professional player pathway by connecting youth academies in MLS NEXT to first teams in Major League Soccer.
The entire RSL pyramid, which includes the RSL Academy’s U-15 and U-17 teams, calls the expansive Zions Bank Training Center in Herriman, Utah their daily training home. With five world-class grass fields, two indoor turf fields, a residential dormitory, the STEM-based RSL Academy High School and the 5,000-seat Zions Bank Stadium located on a 42-acre campus, Utah’s sporting future is bright.
Added in 2020 was the elite RSL Academy basketball program, already earning accolades internationally for its vision, mission and accomplishments.
The RSL Community Foundation was established in 2016, created with the goals of being active in the community year-round, utilizing the popularity and reach of RSL and the Monarchs in promoting health and wellness in children throughout the region, engaging supporters of soccer to raise funds and volunteer time for various local initiatives.
