Lights hire new coach seeking to end lengthy losing streak

The Lights FC hired Devin Rensing as its new coach, the team announced Monday.

Rensing has been an assistant in the United Soccer League Championship the past five seasons and has spent the last three with the Charleston Battery. Interim coach Giovanni Troise will stay with the Lights as an assistant on Rensing’s staff. Troise replaced Antonio Nocerino, who was fired in June just 12 games into his first season with the club.

The Lights (5-10-3) are last in the Western Conference standings and have lost four straight. They were defeated 6-0 by El Paso Locomotive FC on Saturday in El Paso, Texas.

“We’re extremely excited to welcome Devin to Las Vegas. It was a long hiring process, but I’m looking forward to starting our work together straight away,” Lights sporting director Gianleonardo Neglia said in a statement. “Devin has played a key role in developing a winning culture at two different USL Championship clubs. With extensive experience in this league, great familiarity with the college game, and a background in talent identification, we believe Devin has all the tools to be successful as a professional head coach.”

Rensing coached in college for several years before joining Memphis 901 as an assistant in 2021. He spent two seasons there before following coach Ben Pirrman to Charleston in 2023.

The Battery have been one of the USL Championship’s best teams in recent years. They finished with the second-most points in the league last season and are tied for the most this year with Louisville City FC.

Rensing will be the Lights’ 10th coach, including interim coaches, since the team began play in 2017. Nocerino replaced Dennis Sanchez, who left in December to become coach of New Mexico United. Sanchez led the Lights to their first playoff appearance last season and helped the club make a run to the Western Conference Final.

Nocerino was tasked with building on that success, but was fired after a 3-6-3 start.

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.