Denton Diablos FC is an American semi-professional soccer club based in Denton, Texas. Founded in 2018, the club plays in the Ranger Division of USL League Two (USL2).
History In September 2018, the Diablos were announced as an National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) expansion side to play in the South Region's Lone Star Conference.
The club was founded through a partnership between Damon Gochneaur, owner of the Denton-based Aspiro Agency, and Michael Hitchcock, owner of Playbook Management International and fellow NPSL side Fort Worth Vaqueros FC. On October 2, 2018, the team announced Edward S. Marcus High School men's soccer coach Chad Rakestraw as the team's first head coach.
In the team's first season, the club finished second in the Lone Star Conference before falling in the conference semifinals to the Vaqueros.
In January 2020, Denton was announced as one of 14 NPSL clubs that would take part in the 2020 U.S. Open Cup, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament was canceled along with the 2020 NPSL season.
On October 23, 2020, Denton announced Ramón Raya as their new head coach.
In 2021, the Diablos finished first on the Lone Star Conference table with an 8-1-1 record, 2 points ahead of the Laredo Heat. The team won the conference finals against Laredo and would go on a successful playoff run, winning against FC Golden State Force and Cleveland SC. This ultimately led to the championship matchup against Tulsa Athletic, which the Diablos won 5-2 in front of their home crowd in Denton.
In the 2022 season, the team failed to make the playoffs by 1 point, finishing the season 7-4-1. Due to the previous cancelation of the 2020 U.S. Open Cup, Denton made their first appearance in the competition in 2022, losing to a local qualifier (D'Feeters Kicks Soccer Club) in the 1st round. Additionally, the Diablos were chosen to be the NPSL representative in the 2022 Hank Steinbrecher Cup as a result of their 2021 NPSL championship. They lost to USL2 member Flint City Bucks 2-1 in the Cup Final.
Year-by-year results YearLeagueRegular seasonPlayoffsU.S. Open Cup2019NPSL2nd, Lone Star ConferenceConference SemifinalIneligible2020NPSLSeason Cancelled, Competed in Local Roja League Not HeldNot Held2021NPSL1st, Lone Star ConferenceLeague ChampionsNot Held 2022NPSL5th, Lone Star ConferenceIneligible1st Round2023NPSL6th, Lone Star ConferenceIneligibleIneligible2024NPSL3rd, Lone Star ConferenceConference FinalIneligible2025USL24th, Mid South DivisionIneligibleIneligible2026USL22nd, Ranger DivisionIneligibleFinal Qualifying Round
Players & staff Ownership
Damon Gochneaur - Aspiro Agency Michael Hitchcock - Playbook Management International
General Manager & Technical Director Brad Namdar (2023–)
Head coaches
Chad Rakestraw (2019–2020) Ramón Raya (2020–2023) Armando Pelaez (2023) Ben Clarvis (2024) Stewart Flaherty (2025) Roy Lassiter (2026-Present)
Honors
League
National Premier Soccer League League Champions: 2021 West Region Champions: 2021 Lone Star Conference Champions: 2021 Roja League League Champions: 2020, 2021
Cup
U.S. Open Cup Qualifiers: 2022 Open Qualification: 2025 Hank Steinbrecher Cup Runners-up: 2022
Other
Chisholm Trail Clásico Champions: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
References
External links