By Mauricio Segura June 3, 2025
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Oakland Roots SC came into the 2025 USL Championship season bursting with optimism. Fresh off securing their future at the iconic Oakland Coliseum and selling out their home opener before the first whistle, the club seemed poised for a breakthrough. Yet just three months in, misfires on the pitch forced leadership’s hand: head coach Gavin Glinton and assistant Jesse Cormier have been relieved of their duties. Into the hot seat steps Benny Feilhaber, a fresh face with deep soccer credentials, as Oakland aims to salvage a playoff push.
Glinton, who first joined the Roots in 2022 as assistant coach, rose to the top spot in November 2024 and steered the team into the playoffs. While his tenure had flashes of promise including notable wins against competitive league rivals it ended on uneven footing. This spring, the Roots stumbled to a record of three wins, one tie, and seven losses, leaving them in 11th place in a tough Western Conference.
According to club president Lindsay Barenz, the decision was grounded in performance: “The start to the season on the field has not matched the momentum we’ve built off the field. Our expectations for on‑field performance are much higher than where we currently stand. We strongly believe in the group of players… we’re confident in their ability to compete.” It’s a candid nod to the team’s off-field buzz sold out Coliseum crowds and high hopes but a reminder that those buzzes won’t shield from subpar results.
Oakland’s 2025 home opener drew over 26,000 fans, marking the Coliseum’s return to soccer glory after decades of baseball had dominated the venue. The electric atmosphere reinforced the city’s hunger for a competitive soccer identity. Yet the roots of success must be anchored in consistency, and this year, inconsistency took hold: the team dropped two cup matches to lower-division clubs and sunk to 10 losses in 14 league appearances. Those outcomes were impossible to ignore.
Enter Benny Feilhaber, a 40-year-old former USMNT midfielder who brings a strong résumé from Sporting Kansas City II, where he compiled a record of 32 wins, 15 losses, and 33 draws in MLS Next Pro. Transitioning from midseason player for Des Moines Menace in this spring’s U.S. Open Cup to head coach of the Roots, Feilhaber represents a strategic gamble. He is a tactician known for nurturing young talent and adapting to different tactical demands.
His coaching history reveals promise. Under his watch at SKC II, players like Jake Davis, Kayden Pierre, and John Pulskamp saw their market values and playing time surge, evidence of Feilhaber’s developmental acumen. Oakland’s roster brims with youth, featuring names like Ilya Alekseev, EJ Johnson, and Julian Bravo. Harnessing that potential is precisely Feilhaber’s surefire strength.
That said, Oakland leadership still chases stability. Since the club’s USL entry in 2021, seven names have held the top coach role, with six changes since 2022 alone. Glinton made waves by lifting the team to the playoffs, but the revolving door of midseason managerial changes continues to raise questions about accountability within the front office and whether longer-term planning is at odds with week to week survival.
Barenz’s statement named Feilhaber as coach through the end of the season, signaling either a trial run or identity reset. Whether this move marks a longer-term pivot or a temporary fix remains to be seen. Yet as fans prepare to welcome El Paso Locomotive FC this Saturday at the Coliseum, anticipation is tinged with hope. A shake-up so early in the campaign sends a message: playoff dreams are still alive.
For Oakland, this moment is more than a coaching change. It’s a crossroads. Momentum off the field has never been stronger. Now, the roots planted in the Coliseum must take hold where it counts: on the pitch. Under Feilhaber’s guidance, the team will fight to climb back into playoff contention and show the city that its soccer soul matches its civic pride.
As June turns to July, authorities in the stands and the dugout will judge the verdict. Will Feilhaber transform that off-field energy into results? The Coliseum crowd is ready to find out.
