In 2009, former Real Salt Lake defender Jamison Olave played a full 120 minutes to help lift the club to its first Championship trophy. 10 years later, Olave has set after another piece of silverware, this time not as a player but instead at the helm of the Real Monarchs SLC as Interim Head Coach in its quest for the USL Championship trophy.
Olave is no stranger to the high-pressure games of the post season, having led the Monarchs a playoff spot in the 2018 season. After first taking over the Monarchs in early May last year, Olave earned a record of 11-12-2 (35 points) to finish 4th in the Western Conference. The Monarchs hosted Reno 1868 FC at Zions Bank Stadium in a contest that saw the Championship dreams for the Monarchs end early when the visitors from Nevada slipped in a late goal to break a scoreless deadlock and forcing the Monarchs out early.
Now in his second stint as the interim Head Coach, Olave is making his second appearance on the Championship Playoff stage. After taking over the Monarchs in early July, Olave led the Utah team with a record of 10-4-5 (35 points) to secure a second consecutive top-four finish and another opportunity to host in the Quarterfinals. The Monarchs are now set to host Orange County SC in its third quest for the USL Championship since its inauguration.
Since retiring as an active player in 2017, Olave joined the Real Monarchs as an assistant coach before taking over as Interim Head Coach on two separate occasions through 2018 and 2019. Between the two terms at the helm, Olave’s showed his success through a combined record of 21-16-7 (70 points) with a 48% win percentage. Under Olave’s charge, the Monarchs have earned its way into the playoffs in two consecutive years, earning the right to host on both occasions.
The journey to the USL Championship final begins at Zions Bank Stadium on Saturday, October 26 at 1:00 p.m. Tickets to support Olave and the Real Monarchs in the Western Conference Quarterfinal clash can be purchased at RealMonarchs.com or by calling 844.REAL.TIX.
