(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Switchback FC’s first-year head coach Alan McCann was named the USL Championship Coach of the Month for April. The Switchbacks secured their first win over an MLS opponent, Sporting Kansas City, 3-0, advancing to the Round of 16 of the U.S. Open Cup in April. The club won three matches and lost […] This recognition in Colorado Springs highlights a turning point for the club under McCann and a month that reshaped expectations for the season.
Alan McCann’s Coach of the Month honor isn’t a consolation prize — it’s proof a fresh voice can change the trajectory of a team quickly. For a first-year coach, earning league-wide recognition signals that the tactical tweaks and cultural shifts he’s pushed have taken root. That sort of momentum matters in a league where small margins separate playoff hopefuls from also-rans.
The 3-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City grabbed headlines and did something else: it erased a psychological barrier. Beating an MLS side by that scoreline in the U.S. Open Cup sent a message that Switchback FC can match up physically and tactically with higher-division opponents. For the players and the fans in Colorado Springs, that performance felt like a milestone rather than a fluke.
April’s results showed balance — the club won three matches and had other outcomes that tested resilience — and that mix is normal for teams adjusting under a new coach. Across those wins, the Switchbacks displayed sharper pressing, quicker transitions, and a willingness to commit numbers forward without abandoning structure. Those traits helped produce clean sheets and decisive moments in attack when chances mattered most.
On the defensive side, the Switchbacks looked more organized than in previous stretches, and that steadiness allowed attacking players room to be creative. It’s one thing to score against an MLS opponent; it’s another to control phases of play and limit high-quality chances against you. McCann’s approach put emphasis on compactness between the lines and clear responsibilities on set pieces, and the payoff showed up in the scorelines.
Coach of the Month awards are part recognition and part catalyst; they bind a dressing room around a shared belief that what they’re doing is working. For McCann and his staff, the challenge now is to avoid becoming reactive and instead keep refining the process that produced April’s results. Opponents will study that Sporting Kansas City game and try to blunt the Switchbacks’ strengths, so adaptability will be key.
The Round of 16 in the U.S. Open Cup offers a different kind of pressure and a chance to extend a memorable run for the club and the city. Cup competitions reward teams that can handle knockout intensity, manage emotions, and execute game plans under the microscope. If Switchback FC carries the self-belief from April into that stage, they can stretch this moment into something bigger for the season.
Supporters in Colorado Springs have responded to the shift in energy, filling stands with louder support and a sense that the team is moving in the right direction. That bond between club and community can be decisive in tight league matches and knockout games alike, turning home fields into real advantages. For a club with ambitions, April was the month that offered a clear pathway forward and a reminder of what focused leadership and buy-in can accomplish.
