At the end of December 2016, Real Monarchs made an announcement that was possibly one of the most surprising of the offseason: the hiring of former NYRB head coach Mike Petke to lead the USL side into their third season.
It was a shocking acquisition to be sure, but one that will almost certainly have a positive effect on the entire RSL organization. That’s not because I’m hoping that Jeff Cassar gets fired and Petke takes his place (though that thought is in the dreams of many RSL supporters), nor is it a jab at what Freddy Juarez did as the Monarchs first manager.