FC Tucson announced Jon Pearlman as the club's new Head Coach ahead of the 2017 Premier Development League regular season following Rick Schantz's move to the United Soccer League's Phoenix Rising FC.

“Jon and I have worked hand in hand since the beginning,” Schantz said in a release. “He knows the players, the organization, and the team better than any other candidate would have. He’s been coaching for over 20 years in this community, and knows the game at an extremely high level. I expect that Tucson will have continued success under his leadership.”

Pearlman, who has helped scout and recruit players for each FC Tucson team since its inception, will remain General Manager, Technical Director and Owner of FC Tucson.

Under the guidance of Schantz and Pearlman, the club has helped the development of numerous current professional players, including 2016 USL Defender of the Year Aaron Long, Colorado Springs Switchbacks goalkeeper Billy Thompson and Real Salt Lake forward Ricardo Velazco. Pearlman has served as a scout for U.S. Soccer for the past six years and previously served as a staff coach for the Arizona Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program.

“He’s done so much for me, it’s unbelievable,” Velazco said of Pearlman. “The way he coaches is very demanding, which is what a player needs at that stage of development. I owe him a ton, he got me started with RSL.”

Set to kick off its sixth PDL campaign, FC Tucson will look to win a fourth consecutive division title. The PDL franchise has also reached the Western Conference Finals in each of the past three years.