 | |||
| Full name | Oklahoma City Energy Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | July 2, 2013; 12 years ago (2013-07-02) | ||
| Stadium | Oklahoma City Stadium (planned) Oklahoma City,Oklahoma | ||
| Capacity | 7,500 (former); 12,300 (planned) | ||
| Owner | Echo | ||
| President | Christian Kanady | ||
| Head coach | Vacant | ||
| League | USL Championship (on hiatus) | ||
| Website | energyfc | ||
Oklahoma City Energy Football Club, or simplyEnergy FC, is an American professionalsoccer club based inOklahoma City, Oklahoma that began play in 2014. The club is a member of theUSL Championship, the second division of theAmerican soccer league system. The club has been on hiatus since 2022, having canceled their seasons until a planned 2027 return. The club cites its inability to meet league requirements for field conditions. With their operations to field a team, the organization is currently undergoing a name change initiative using a "Name The Team" contest for fans to vote.
Oklahoma City businessman Robert "Bob" Funk, Jr., was awarded aUnited Soccer League franchise on July 2, 2013, and in November, the club announced its name would be Oklahoma City Energy FC. The ownership group, Prodigal LLC, formerly Express sports, which operated theOklahoma City Barons of theAmerican Hockey League and formerly oversaw theOklahoma City Dodgers (formerly Oklahoma/Oklahoma City Redhawks.) baseball team of thePacific Coast League and the ownedOklahoma City Blazers of theCentral Hockey League.[1] Recently retiredSporting Kansas City goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen was named Energy FC head coach for the inaugural season. Tim McLaughlin, founder of Fields & Futures, joined the club as an ownership partner prior to the start of the 2014 season. Energy FC won their first match away toOrange County Blues FC on April 5 and played their first home match againstOrlando City SC on April 26 at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School'sPribil Stadium. The season ended with a 10th place finish – four points short of a playoff spot and averaging 3,702 in attendance for home matches. The club moved to the newly-renovated Taft Stadium for the 2015 season and finished second in the Western Conference, making the playoffs for the first time. Energy FC advanced to the Western Conference Final, where they lost toLA Galaxy II.
For the inaugural (2014) season only, all games were broadcast onKXXY-FM radio with former Oklahoma sports personality Jack Damrill. For the 2016 and 2017 season Energy FC games were on localtelevision onKSBI on Cox Cable Oklahoma channel 7 and simulcasted on Cox digital HD channels 707. Currently the Oklahoma City Energy FC has no radio or television deal in place.
In 2016, the team finished 7th in the Western Conference and advanced to the Western Conference semifinals. Energy FC also advanced to the fourth round of theLamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup after defeating cross-town rivalRayo OKC 2–1 in extra time. That year also saw Energy FC hostClub Deportivo Guadalajara in afriendly match played in front of 6,687 fans at Taft Stadium. Energy FC made the playoffs for a third consecutive season in 2017 after finishing 6th in the Western Conference. Back-to-back road wins earned the team a berth in the Conference Final for the second time in three years. Energy FC lost the match toSwope Park Rangers in a penalty shootout that saw both sides attempting 10 shots each, with the deciding goals coming down to each teams' goalkeepers. That year also saw the club host another international friendly, against2017 Champions League winnersCF Pachuca.
Prior to the 2018 season,Steve Cooke was named head coach of the club, a year after serving as interim head coach at MLS sideColorado Rapids. Energy FC narrowly missed the USL Playoffs competing for a spot until the final month of the season. Cooke was succeeded byJohn Pascarella in 2019. On June 4, 2021, following a winless start to the2021 USL Championship season, Pascarella and the OKC Energy mutually agreed to part ways.[2]
The club is currently not fielding a roster and, having relieved head coachLeigh Veidman,[3] have gone on an indefinite hiatus due to a club cited inability to meet league requirements for field conditions.[4] Following investment group Echo purchasing the club,[5] and a land donation to the city for a new stadium,[6] the club plans to return by 2027 with a potential women's side,[7] following the completion of their new stadium.[8]
For the 2014 season, home games began being played at Pribil Stadium on the campus ofBishop McGuinness Catholic High School and introduced their team kits and logo.[9][10][11] In 2015, the club moved to HistoricTaft Stadium following extensive renovations made to that facility.[12]
On December 10, 2019, Oklahoma City voters approvedMAPS 4, a sales tax extension planned to fund 16 major projects over 8 years. MAPS 4 allocates $41 million towards the construction of a multipurpose stadium that would serve as the new home field for the Energy.[13] After city government's search for a final site and design for the stadium concluded,[14] a location was identified near lower Bricktown where the newOklahoma City Thunder arena and new transit area is to be built.[15][16] Should the stadium be fully constructed, the 42-acre site's stadium will be able to host 12,300 guests and host both OKC Energy and a potential professional women's soccer team. The plan was approved by city council unanimously on November 19, 2024.[17] In 2025 OKC will vote on a Bond issue to provide an additional 50 million dollars to expand the new stadium with a 2nd level which would increase seating to 15,000-16,000.[18]
OKC Energy have five recognized supporters groups: The Grid,[19] La Furia Verde, OKC Breakers, Northend United, and Main St. Greens.[20]
OKC Energy's main rivals areFC Tulsa, with both teams being located in Oklahoma. The teams compete in theBlack Gold Derby. The supporters group of both teams established a trophy, a 4-foot wrench painted with the colors of each team on either side, which is awarded to the regular season winner of the derby.[21] OKC lead the series against Tulsa in all competitions with a record of 10–8–5 (W-D-L). OKC have secured the wrench four years out of the seven that the rivalry has been in existence, in 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019.
The club was formerly associated withFC Dallas ofMajor League Soccer from 2015 through 2018.[22][23] They were affiliated withSporting Kansas City from 2014 through 2015.[24]
Local, family-ownedFirst Fidelity Bank became the inaugural jersey sponsor in 2014.[25]
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2014–2016 |  Admiral | First Fidelity Bank |
| 2017–2019 |  Under Armour | |
| 2020–present |  Adidas |
| Year | Division | League | Regular season | Playoffs | U.S. Open Cup | Avg. attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 3 | USL Pro | 10th | Did not qualify | Third round | 3,784 |
| 2015 | 3 | USL | 2nd, Western | Conference finals | Fourth round | 4,635 |
| 2016 | 3 | USL | 7th, Western | Conference semifinals | Fourth round | 4,950 |
| 2017 | 2 | USL | 6th, Western | Conference finals | Fourth round | 4,293 |
| 2018 | 2 | USL | 10th, Western | Did not qualify | Second round | 4,298 |
| 2019 | 2 | USLC | 15th, Western | Did not qualify | Fourth round | 4,442 |
| 2020 | 2 | USLC | 17th, Western 5th, Group D | Did not qualify | Cancelled | N/A |
| 2021 | 2 | USLC | 5th, Atlantic Division | Did not qualify | Cancelled | 2,265 |
| 2022 | Did not play[26] | |||||
| 2023 | ||||||
| 2024 | ||||||
| 2025 | ||||||
| Coach | Nationality | Start | End | Games | Win | Draw | Loss | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Nielsen |  Denmark | December 20, 2013 | November 16, 2017 | 136 | 54 | 38 | 44 | 039.71 |
| Steve Cooke | England | December 20, 2017 | October 22, 2019 | 72 | 23 | 18 | 31 | 031.94 |
| John Pascarella |  United States | November 22, 2019 | June 4, 2021 | 23 | 1 | 11 | 11 | 004.35 |
| Leigh Veidman | England | June 4, 2021 | January 30, 2023 | 25 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 032.00 |
| Total | 256 | 86 | 76 | 94 | 033.59 | |||
| # | Name | Career | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danni König | 2015–2017 | 27 |
| 2 | Alex Dixon | 2017–2018 | 20 |
| 3 | Kyle Greig | 2014–2015 | 19 |
| 4 |  Deshorn Brown | 2018–2019 | 17 |
| 5 | Michael Thomas | 2014–2016 | 12 |
 Villyan Bijev | 2021 | 12 | |
| 7 |  Wojciech Wojcik | 2016–2017 | 11 |
 José Angulo | 2017–2018 | 11 | |
 Miguel González | 2017–2018 | 11 | |
| 10 | Sebastian Dalgaard | 2015–2016 | 9 |
| Christian Volesky | 2018 | 9 |
USL PRO expansion team OKC Energy FC has landed First Fidelity Bank as a founding partner and jersey sponsor for its inaugural season.
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