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FC Cincinnati Hires Ron Jans As Head Coach

ron jans
Wikimedia Commons
Prior to joining FC Cincinnati, Ron Jans was a Dutch football manager and former striker.

FC Cincinnati has hired Dutch manager Ron Jans as its new head coach, the team announced Sunday. His first training session with the team will be Tuesday, Aug. 6, and his first game on Saturday, Aug. 10 in Columbus.

"We are excited to get Ron involved with the team as soon as possible and leading us the rest of the season," FCC's General Manager Gerard Nijkamp said in a release. "He has a pedigree of success and guiding strong clubs, especially through difficult transitions to championships."

Nijkamp, who came to the team in May, knows this firsthand. Nijkamp hired Jans to led PEC Zwolle, and the team won the 2013-14 KNVB Cup in his first year. 

"I will put all my knowledge, experience and skills into building a successful club for this wonderful city," Nijkamp said when the news of him joining the team was made public.

Nijkamp now appears to be making good on that promise. One of his first three priorities after joining the team, he said, was finding a new head coach. "I will bring my expertise of how we did it at PEC Zwolle," he said. 

For Nijkamp, it seems that means hiring Jans.  

Jans is the third head coach in the club's brief MLS history and its fourth overall, according to a release. 

FC Cincinnati's previous Head Coach Alan Koch was let go in May "after a series of recent issues and a team culture that had deteriorated," FC Cincinnati President and then-general manager Jeff Berding said at the time.

Jans' contract is through Dec. 31, 2020. 

Tana Weingartner contributed to this report. 

Jennifer Merritt brings 20 years of "tra-digital" journalism experience to WVXU.