A day after losing to one of the league’s worst teams, the Oakland Roots announced that it had mutually parted ways with the team’s head coach, Noah Delgado.
Despite a 2-1-5 start to the season, it was still surprising that the club dismissed Delgado so early in the campaign. He started his 56-game tenure as the Roots’ head coach in the summer of 2022 on an interim basis after the club dismissed previous head coach Juan Guerra when he initiated conversations with Phoenix Rising about their open head coach position. Delgado turned that season around, going 5-1-3 over the final nine games to squeak into the USL postseason and defeat the San Diego Loyal in the first round of the playoffs. The results earned him the full-time head coach position.
In his one entire season in charge in 2023, Delgado directed his team to third place in the standings last August with an 11-7-7 start. However, after the Roots traded away several high-earning and productive players and the club suffered several injuries that thinned out the roster, Oakland collapsed down the stretch, going 0-2-7 in their final nine games to miss the postseason.
This season, with several new offseason additions, Delgado never seemed able to put together a preferred starting eleven on the pitch. A 2-0 loss to the Colorado Switchbacks on Saturday, with three regular starters out because of disciplinary reasons, seemed like the final straw. Despite the anticipated arrival of former MLS striker Dom Dwyer to help an anemic Roots attack, it seems like the organization decided it was time for a new leader for its technical staff.
“Noah has been an instrumental figure within our club, having been on the staff since 2021,” the team released in a statement after parting ways with Delgado. “Contributing his expertise, dedication to community, and passion to our collective goals. We express our sincere appreciation for his efforts during his time with us.”
Delgado grew up in the East Bay and played for Fresno State in College. After being drafted by the MLS Los Angeles Galaxy, Delgado spent his pro career in the USL. He played for the Portland Timbers, Syracuse Salty Dogs, and Rochester Rhinos before playing most of his career with the Puerto Rico Islanders.
In 2021 and 2022, Delgado was an assistant coach for the Roots and the El Salvador national team before taking over as head coach for Oakland. He finished his career in charge of Oakland with 21 wins, 11 draws, and 24 losses overall in all competitions and the postseason.
The Roots announced that assistant coach Gavin Glinton will be the team’s interim head coach. It isn’t clear if he will get a trial run in charge like Delgado did or if the club is immediately starting a search for a replacement.
Glinton had a 10-year professional career with stints with the LA Galaxy, Charleston Battery, and Carolina Railhawks. He was an academy coach with the Sacramento Republic and an assistant with New Mexico United before joining the Roots as an assistant in 2022.
Next up for the Roots is San Antonio FC, traditionally one of the top USL clubs in the league, on Saturday before a US Open Cup match against the San Jose Earthquakes on May 7.
