LouCity's Danny Cruz voted USL Coach of the Month after red-hot June

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Danny Cruz keeps stacking milestones.

After leading Louisville City FC to five wins in six matches during June — including four league victories and a Jägermeister Cup triumph — Cruz was voted the USL Championship Coach of the Month.

LouCity surged to the top of the league standings in June, outscoring opponents 14-3 and continuing a stretch of dominance that's become standard under Cruz, who is now in his fifth season at the helm.

Cruz, who last won the honor in August of 2024, credited his team.

"We talk about 'no excuses' and the players certainly have yet to give one," Cruz said. "And I think that's the power of the group, that's the strength of the group. I'm really proud of the way that they've handled the last couple of months."

Cruz earned 38% of the vote, edging out LouCity FC alum and former captain Luke Spencer of Tulsa FC (33%) for the award, which is determined by a combination of media and technical panel ballots.

Now 34 years old, Cruz is the all-time winningest and longest-tenured coach in LouCity history — and he's done it all before hitting his coaching prime. Last season, he was named USL Championship Coach of the Year after guiding LouCity to a 24-4-6 record and its first-ever Players' Shield, awarded to the league's top regular-season team. That squad set new club records for wins, goals (86), and points (76).

Since taking over full-time in 2021 — after an interim stint just one match into that season — Cruz has led LouCity to three consecutive Eastern Conference Finals and a trip to the USL Championship Final in 2022. At the time, he was the youngest head coach ever to reach the title match.

"When we look at the mentality of our group, and when we look at the understanding that every single player on our roster matters, and when you get the chance and your number's called, you have to take it," Cruz said. "I think that's something that makes me really, really proud; this group is deep, they push one another every day, and they're getting results in a collective way."

LouCity turns to international competition for its next game, facing Club Deportivo Leganés, S.A.D. of Madrid at 8 p.m. Saturday in Lynn Family Stadium. That game is the first of a three-game international bundle at the Butchertown Facility. Ticket information is here.