Ahead of this weekend’s Open Tryout, Republic FC has announced new additions to the club’s technical staff for the 2024 season. Martín Vásquez joins as First Team Assistant Coach, and Bradley Johnson joins as Goalkeeper Coach for the club’s 11th USL Championship season. Additionally, Rodrigo Hernandez gets the nod as the new Equipment Manager, while a full slate of returners rounds out the 2024 staff.
“Martín and Bradley will be fantastic additions to our technical staff,” said Republic FC Head Coach Mark Briggs. “Martín brings a wealth of experience and knowledge from his extensive career, and Bradley just coached the League One Goalkeeper of the Year. Both will add tremendous value on the sidelines and in the locker room.”
Vásquez and Johnson will join Head Coach Mark Briggs on the sideline following the departure of Assistant Coach Danny Dichio and Goalkeeper Coach Ross Cain, who departed the club for new positions as Head Coach of Detroit City FC and Goalkeeper Coach of Philadelphia Union 2, respectively.
Martín Vásquez
Vásquez joins Republic FC with over 30 years of experience as a player and coach, both in the U.S. and abroad. After starting his coaching career in America, he made the move to Europe in 2008, reporting to Jürgen Klinsmann at Bayern Munich for one season in Bundesliga that saw the German side reach the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League. Klinsmann later brought Vásquez aboard as an assistant with the U.S. Men’s National Team from 2011-2014, winning the Concacaf Gold Cup in 2013 and helping the squad to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
“I am very excited to have the opportunity to be part of Sacramento Republic FC,” said Vásquez. “I believe the organization, the team, the fans make Sacramento one of the top teams in the USL Championship. Looking forward to contributing with hard work, to the success of the team.”
Back in the U.S., Vásquez has been on the sidelines with MLS sides Houston Dynamo, LA Galaxy, and Chivas USA, as well as San Diego Spirit (Women’s United Soccer Association) and collegiately at Cal Poly Pomona. In his first Head Coach stint in USL Championship, Vásquez led Real Monarchs SLC to its league title in 2019. He would later be named the Head Coach and Director of Soccer Operations for RSL-Arizona’s U-16 and U-19 teams. He also previously served as the Head Coach for MLS-side Chivas USA during the 2010 season. In his most recent role, he was the Head Coach for USL League One side Central Valley Fuego FC.
As a player, Vásquez paved the way for Mexican-American footballers, becoming the first to play for both the Mexico National Team (1990) and the U.S. Men’s National Team (1997). Born in Yahualica, Mexico, he was raised in Los Angeles and played professionally for 17 years, featuring for famed Mexican clubs including Atlas, Puebla, and Veracruz. He was a part of the inaugural MLS season in 1996, anchoring the midfield for the Tampa Bay Mutiny and earning a spot on the All-Star roster, and later played for the San Jose Clash before retiring in 1998.
Bradley Johnson
Johnson joins Republic FC after a season with USL League One club Charlotte Independence. During the 2023 season, Charlotte posted 11 clean sheets to reach the USL League One Final, with goalkeeper Austin Pack setting a new league record with 116 saves during the regular season and earning the league’s of Goalkeeper of the Year honors.
“I am beyond thrilled for the opportunity to join the Sacramento Republic FC coaching staff and begin competing for a championship,” said Johnson. “There is a great culture of success at this club and I am excited to help add to that. Thank you to Mark Briggs and Todd Dunivant for making this possible, and I am looking forward to a memorable season.”
Prior to Charlotte, Johnson spent time at the collegiate level in New York, with stints at Iona College, Long Island University-Brooklyn, and John Jay College. As the Head Coach at John Jay, he led the team to its first playoff win in over a decade and recorded the most wins for the program in 10 years. At Long Island University, Johnson served as Assistant Coach, helping the team to the Northeast Conference title in 2018. He also coached for Manhattan Soccer Club’s U23 team in USL League Two, working closely with the club’s youth teams as well.
A Manhattan native, Johnson played collegiately for the University of Albany, SUNY Cobleskill and Ithaca College. He also has international playing experience in Brazil, Holland, Croatia and England. While earning his master’s degree at Brunel University in Middlesex, England, he won a National British University Championship title in futsal and advanced to the European Championships.
With Republic FC, Johnson will work with the goalkeeping squad to build on a stellar campaign that saw a new club record in shutouts and fewest goals conceded, as well as Golden Glove and Goalkeeper of the Year honors for Danny Vitiello. He’ll also serve as a resource to the club’s youth academy goalkeepers, helping to develop the region’s next generation of players in the youth-to-pro pathway.
Rodrigo Hernandez
Hernandez is joining Republic FC as the team’s Equipment Manager, overseeing all aspects of equipment and apparel for team operations. He comes to Sacramento after two years as the Team Manager for Loyola University Chicago Men’s Soccer, assisting the coaching staff with the execution of training sessions, matches, team travel, analysis, and more. He also previously served as the Soccer Operations Manager & Player Liaison for Edgewater Castle FC, a non-profit soccer club in Chicago that no-barrier access to a high-quality and highly-organized player and supporter experience.
Along with the new additions to the technical staff, Mark Briggs will have plenty of familiar faces alongside him this year. André Zayas returns as the Manager of Team Operations, first stepping into the role midway through the 2023 season after first joining the club as Manager of Soccer Programming and First Team Video Analyst.
Club veterans Katy Norton, Luke Rayfield, and Dave Redman continue their tenure with the club as well. Norton will return as the Director of Sports Performance, while Rayfield will take an elevated role with the club as Head of Performance. Both have been with Republic FC since its inaugural 2014 season. 2024 will mark Redman’s second season as Head Athletic Trainer following eight years as Athletic Trainer for the club’s youth academy.
Republic FC players will continue to receive exceptional medical care from UC Davis Health’s dedicated team of sports medicine physicians led by Dr. Eric Giza, while additional support and expertise will be provided by Team Chiropractor Charmaine Magale, Team Podiatrist Dr. Arman Kirakosian, and Team Cardiologist Dr. Ramin Manshadi.
