TAMPA, Fla. – Greenville Triumph SC Head Coach John Harkes has been named League One Coach of the Month presented by Cleer Audio for October. Harkes’ side put together a remarkable run of five consecutive shutouts in the final month of the regular season, winning four games out of five to jump into second place in the final League One standings to earn a bye to the Semifinals of the 2021 USL League One Playoffs, presented by TwinSpires.

The defending League One title holders, Greenville broke out of a midseason downturn that left it in the middle of the pack chasing a playoff place at the start of September but found another gear defensively over the final weeks of the regular season to stifle opposing attacks. Triumph SC opened the month with a dramatic late 1-0 win against Fort Lauderdale CF to start a streak of five consecutive shutouts to close the regular season.

For Harkes, the turnaround came via a refocus internally on the team’s processes as it tried to work around numerous injuries that caused setbacks in the squad across the course of the campaign.

“What we tried to do differently was to reflect on what is good, and what can improve,” he said. “Finding solutions through the adversity was the key. We had 16 out 20 fields players out injured at one time or another this season. Lachlan McLean missed three months, and Noah Pilato missed almost the whole season, so we were dealing with a different lineup and formation from one week to the next.

“Our style of play had to be studied and discussed weekly through adaptive communication and approach. The players are confident, as we have open and consistent communication. I always knew we could turn it around through self-belief and hard work. They are a quality group.”

The work proved transformative as Greenville produced its best form of the season in its final month. Triumph SC goalkeeper Paul Christensen was required to record only six saves over the five-game span as the side allowed a league-fewest 35 shots overall in the month, an average of seven per game, while recording nine blocked shots. The side’s 2-0 victory against North Carolina FC on the final day of the regular season saw Greenville pass Chattanooga Red Wolves SC for second place in the standings as it vies to defend its title this postseason.

Harkes was selected as League One’s Coach of the Month by the USL League One Technical Committee.