MEMPHIS, Tenn. — For the second straight year, Memphis 901 FC has secured a spot in the USL Championship Playoffs.
"We want to make playoffs, so if anybody says it ain't that big of a deal, they're lying, it's a big deal," said head coach Ben Pirmann.
It’s an even bigger deal than that in just two years of being named head coach.
Pirmann has coached Memphis to two consecutive playoff berths.
However, similar to last season, this season had somewhat of a rocky start.
“We started with mud on our faces. We lost three nothing and then we just kind of looked in the mirror, got better and improved,” said Pirmann.
Since finding a rhythm, the club has remained in the top half of conference rankings.
However, Pirmann doesn’t take all the credit.
Team captain Leston Paul is the only player on the team that has been with Memphis from the start back in 2019.
Pirmann said he has a team full of leaders, but it starts with Paul.
“He understands what we’re all about and he’s a very selfless person and that consequence of selflessness transcends throughout the group,” said Pirmann.
That selflessness has helped to push players like Phillip Goodrum to become the second leading scorer in the conference and Aaron Malloy to hold the number one spot in the entire league for assists.
Pirmann also added that Memphis fans are who fuel the club each game.
Now, with five matches left in the regular season, Pirmann is hoping to bring the first playoff match to Memphis as the hosting club.
“We’ll go for it, and we know win, lose, or draw that if we go for it and we suffer and we give everything, they’ll be proud of us,” said Pirmann.
Memphis will face top-ranked Louisville City Friday, Sept. 23 in Louisville.