As general manager and head coach of the Utah Blitzz, Chris Agnello already had a full plate of responsibilities. So why in his right mind did he want another title?
Quite simply, he loves soccer and wants to see it thrive in Utah.
For public relations sake, Agnello probably doesn't want anyone to know how frighteningly close the Utah Blitzz came to calling it quits this winter. But that's what happened when owner Dell Nichols informed Agnello that he was selling the team just five months removed from winning the USL Division 3 championship.
Nichols, the deep pockets behind the Blitzz franchise, wanted to rededicate himself to his real estate development business. It was tough news for Agnello, who'd worked alongside Nichols and Stacy McNicol, the director of operations, to launch the franchise in 2000.
Agnello and McNicol understood their bosses' wishes, but they couldn't just let the franchise fold. The Utah Freezz indoor team already suffered that fate this winter, and they knew it would be devastating to the future of soccer in Utah for both franchises to collapse.
So when Agnello and McNicol couldn't find another investor, they begin crunching numbers themselves and came up with a plan.
Agnello, a former Woods Cross High School soccer star, and McNicol, a long-time resident of Davis County, decided to buy the team.
"We put together a plan that Dell (Nichols) was comfortable with and the league was comfortable with," said Agnello. "All the transfers have happened, and we have the rights."
When the Utah Blitzz kick off their third season this May, Agnello will now be the team's co-owner along with his additional roles.
Ownership change will bring wholesale changes throughout the franchise.
It was no secret that Nichols loved soccer — and was also rich. He wasn't afraid to splurge on his team a bit during those first two years. Fancy offices and cozy traveling amenities were just a few of the luxuries the Blitzz enjoyed during their first two years.
"Under this new structure I think it's better for us," said Agnello. "With deeper pockets everything is done on a grander scale. Now we've eliminated some of the pieces that are unnecessary."
Being a little more frugal could help the team.
Instead of paying lofty rental fees at places like Rice-Eccles Stadium and BYU's soccer field, the Blitzz will be playing at Cottonwood High School this year. It's a 3,000-seat facility in the heart of the team's fan base, but it's also cheap.
"We're not overly concerned about profits, that's not our goal here," said Agnello. "We know we have a market here that wants soccer to survive."
The Blitzz averaged just under 3,000 fans at Rice-Eccles Stadium during their inaugural season, attendance figures that helped Utah team sign key free agents during its championship season the following year. Utah wasn't quite so lucky during much of year two, averaging barely 800 fans while playing in Provo.
But when the Blitzz returned to Salt Lake City for the playoffs, Utah's soccer fans returned to the stadium in throngs. It culminated with over 6,000 fans attending the Blitzz's championship victory over Greenville at Franklin Covey Field in August.
Despite all of these changes, Agnello's top priority is repeating last year's success.
"Our fans will still see a very good team," he said. "We'll maintain that."
E-MAIL: jedward@desnews.com