Overhauled: How Sacramento Republic president Todd Dunivant reshaped his team
Things weren’t looking too rosy when Todd Dunivant added the title “team president” to his already complicated job as general manager of Sacramento Republic FC in March 2021. The club’s plans to join MLS had fallen apart. His predecessor, Ben Gumpert, resigned in the fallout.
On the field, fans didn’t have much respite either. The core that guided the Quails to seven straight postseason appearances, making Sacramento one of USL’s cornerstone franchises, had become stale. Sacramento scored only 36 goals in 34 games last season and the team sputtered to a 13th-place finish out of 15 teams, missing the playoffs for the first time in team history.
That’s a fair amount of pressure to start with.
“Everyday brings new lessons, there’s no shortage of that,” Dunivant told The Bee at a recent training session ahead of the team’s two upcoming games against his old club, L.A. Galaxy.
“I’d love to be everywhere at once, but that’s not possible. So I’m just trying to be present wherever I am, whether that be out in training or back at the office afterwards. There’s a lot going on behind the scenes as well as on the field. … Honestly, my job is to allow (our staff) to do their jobs. It’s certainly not boring.”
This season, owner Kevin Nagle’s mandate was clear: Figure out how to win.
So far, after Dunivant and coach Mark Briggs spent the offseason reshaping the entire roster, the team appears to be doing just that.
Through a third of the season, the Quails are right back in the playoff mix in the Western Conference. They are undefeated at home, including a massive win over MLS side San Jose Earthquakes in the round of 16 of the U.S. Open Cup, making it the furthest they’ve ever reached in the single-elimination tournament.
More impressively is their recent form: only two goals conceded in their previous eight games.
“Defensively, we couldn’t ask for more,” Dunivant said. “From that standpoint, you’re not going to lose a lot of games when you don’t concede. But I think we can still be more lethal in front of goal. That’s an area we still haven’t fully cracked yet. But we’re knocking on the door and creating chances,which is good. That means the system of play is working the way it should and now we just got to reward ourselves.”
Another part of the overhaul that seems to be paying off is the squad’s depth, which isn’t always a given in USL, where financial resources are limited compared to that of MLS teams. Further complicating the situation is the fact that Dunivant and Briggs signed 22 new players to the first team.
“You don’t see dropoffs within the roster which I’m very pleased with,” Dunivant said. “Of course, there are guys that are in form that are getting the nod over others, but across the board, we are very deep and that’s helped us in the cup as well as the league. Guys who haven’t been playing obviously want to play, but they’ll get their chance because we have a lot of games and opportunities. … Ultimately, an increase in competition means a better product on the field.
“It’s a close-knit group that you can see on and off the field. They hold each other accountable, but they have a lot of fun together too, which is what you want to see. This is the sort of chemistry that you need. … And I think considering that three quarters of the team is new, we knew that this was going to take time. But we’ve grown a lot and I think we’re really pleased with where we’re sitting right now.”
Before he transitioned to the front office, Dunivant was a decorated player, spending the bulk of his career and enjoying his most success with the L.A. Galaxy. He played for Galaxy in 2005 and had another stint from 2009 to 2015. He was a part of a team that won four MLS Cups and one U.S. Open Cup, the same nationwide competition where Sacramento Republic is enjoying a rare deep run to the quarterfinals this season.
Coincidentally, it’s his former club, which he still has fond feelings for, that will be standing in Republic FC’s way. The Quails will play the MLS side on Tuesday in Carson, but before then, will meet LA Galaxy II at home on Saturday in USL play.
“A lot of great memories (with the Galaxy) for sure,” Dunivant said. “We won more than we lost. But honestly, it’s the stuff that people don’t get to see. We still have a close group of friends that will last a lifetime. … Coming back to the team (in 2009) and having the run we did was special. Those don’t come along too often, and being a part of something like that was certainly an honor.”
Will sticking it to his old club twice in one week bring him any extra satisfaction?
“No, honestly my job is mostly done at this point. It’s not like I’m going out onto the field and doing anything. It’s a little different perspective, but I’m sure I’ll see a lot of familiar and friendly faces down in LA.
“This quarterfinal is an opportunity for our guys which we’re very excited about because they’ve put themselves on that stage and earned it. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
This story was originally published June 18, 2022 at 4:28 AM.