Utah Blitzz

Utah Blitzz

Full name	Utah Blitzz Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Blitzz
Founded	2000
Dissolved	2004
Stadium	Rice-Eccles Stadium Salt Lake City, Utah
Ground Capacity	45,634
Owner	Jon Garff
Head Coach	Chris Agnello
League	USL Pro Select League
2004	1st, Western Conference Playoffs: Champions
Home colors Away colors

Utah Blitzz was an American professional soccer team in based in Salt Lake City, Utah that played in the USL Pro Select League (later known as the USL Second Division). The club was founded in 2000 but folded following the 2004 season to make way for the Major League Soccer franchise, Real Salt Lake, to begin play in 2005. During its short existence the club was very successful, winning two league titles and finishing first or second in the Western Conference every season. The club played its home games at Rice-Eccles Stadium on the campus of the University of Utah.

History

The Utah Blitzz Football Club was founded in 2000, joining the third division of professional soccer in the United States, playing in the USL Pro Select League (also known as the USL D3 Pro League and later as the USL Second Division). The team would play its home games out of Rice-Eccles Stadium on the campus of the University of Utah, but had plans to build its own soccer specific stadium.^[1] The club began its first season with Chris Agnello as head coach and Stacy McNicol as Director of Operations, both of whom would later become co-owners. Prior to the 2004 season, majority ownership was sold to the Ken Garff family, with Bob Garff as chairman Ken Garff Automotive Group based in Utah and his son, Jon Garff, overseeing ownership of the team.

Agnello would lead the Blitzz to a USL Pro Select League title in only its second season, with consecutive first place finishes in the Western Conference from 2001-2004 and ending the club's final season with a second League championship in 2004.

On July 12, 2004, the country's first division pro league, Major League Soccer, announced that an expansion franchise had been awarded to Salt Lake City, with the new team to begin play in 2005. Following the championship victory in the 2004 season, the Blitzz ownership decided it would be best to step aside and not compete for attention or fans with the new MLS club. However, due to the success of the Blitzz, many staff and players would find a role in the Real Salt Lake (RSL) organization, including Agnello, who would go on to serve as a first team assistant coach for RSL.^[2]

Year-by-year

Honors

• USL Pro Select League (D3 Pro League)
  • Winners (2): 2001, 2004

Players & staff

Head coaches

• Chris Agnello 2000-2004

References