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Marcina departs Menace, joins SAFC

By Des Moines Menace, 11/05/18, 3:15PM CST

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After leading the Menace to the 2018 regular-season crown, Alen Marcina is heading back to the pros -- this time as an assistant coach with San Antonio FC.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – Friday, Nov. 2, 2018 – The search has begun for the Des Moines Menace’s next head coach.

After a successful year in this role, Alen Marcina is stepping back into professional soccer. On Wednesday, San Antonio FC announced that he has accepted a positon as an assistant coach with the United Soccer League Championship team.

Marcina guided the Menace to the Premier Development League’s 2018 regular-season title. The team carried an undefeated, 13-0-1 mark into the postseason and advanced to the second round of the playoffs.

“We’ve loved working with Alen. He’s a great friend and a great coach, and we’re happy for him to join a quality club like SAFC,” Menace general manager Tiley Nunnink said. “Just like we want to help our players reach the pros, this is the name of the game for our coaches, as well. I look forward to continuing the relationship with Alen and wish him my best.”

This opportunity keeps Marcina in the city his family calls home. Marcina guided the San Antonio Scorpions from 2012 to 2015, including two seasons as an assistant in the franchise’s final two years (highlighted by the 2014 North American Soccer League championship) as the head coach.

He’ll assist Darren Powell as San Antonio FC looks to build upon a 14-12-8 finish this past season.

Maybe, down the road, SAFC and the Menace will reunite in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. In 2016, Des Moines lost a third-round Cup match to visiting San Antonio, 2-1. The Menace has qualified for next year’s Open Cup, marking the franchise’s 13th berth in the national tournament.