Toronto FC announced on Thursday that the club will field a team in USL PRO in 2015 and that former Canadian international Jason Bent will be the team's head coach.
The team's name and venue for home matches will be released at a later date. TFC's USL PRO squad will train at the club’s Kia Training Grounds in Toronto. The club will replace Toronto's 2014 partnership with the Wilmington Hammerheads.
"Today marks an important day in the history of Toronto FC. Having our own USL PRO side is crucial in the development of our players. We saw several benefits from our partnership with Wilmington last season, and we are pleased to now have our own side here in Toronto,” said Toronto FC general manager Tim Bezbatchenko in a statement.
"I’d also like to congratulate Jason Bent on being named head coach of the USL PRO team. Jason has been and remains an important part of our staff at Toronto FC, and we felt this role would be perfect for him, as we move players from our academy into the USL PRO team and then onto our first team. Jason is familiar with all levels of our structure at TFC.”
Toronto FC become the sixth MLS club to field a USL PRO team and the third-tier league's 11th expansion side set to begin play in 2015, joining Austin, Charlotte, Colorado Springs, Louisville, Montreal, Portland, Salt Lake City, Seattle, St. Louis and Tulsa.
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“This pathway will help us bridge the gap between the academy and first-team level and enable some talented young men, especially Canadian players, to really learn their trade and develop into legitimate first-team players,” said Bent, 37, who joined TFC's coaching staff in 2011 after three years in the club's youth academy. During his own playing career, Bent played in Germany and England, in addition to a three-year stint with the Colorado Rapids.
