The best way to bounce back from the third-worst season in League One history? Go out and make a splash with one of the flashiest head coaching hires in the country. Former United States Men's National Team and German Bundesliga star midfielder Jermaine Jones will completely rebuild a Central Valley side that set an all-time league record for most losses (21) a season ago. It's hard to predict what will come of Jones' first journey as a professional head coach, but regardless of the outcome, all eyes will be on Fresno.

Following a decorated playing career that featured 69 appearances for the USMNT, a FIFA World Cup appearance and 425 appearances at the club level for the likes of FC Schalke 04, Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Beşiktaş JK and Blackburn Rovers FC, among others, Jones has opted to continue his soccer career as a coach. Jones started his coaching career as a youth coach in the ECNL with Real So Cal before moving to the professional ranks as an assistant for NISA's New Amsterdam FC. Jones was most recently the assistant coach for the United States U-19 Men's Youth National Team and maintains a UEFA Pro License, UEFA A License, UEFA B License and U.S. Soccer B License.

A season ago, Fuego FC made its way through three coaches during its second campaign: Martín Vásquez, Adam Smith and Edison Gonzalez. Central Valley's 61 goals conceded and 21 points dropped from winning positions were both the second-most in a single season in league history. Just seven of Fuego FC's 23 points came against clubs that finished the season above the playoff line - the second-year side finished 2-15-1 with a -23 goal differential against postseason-bound clubs. Riding a winning streak into the offseason, though, Central Valley did snap a 14-match winless streak and a five-match losing streak with a 5-4 victory over Richmond to close out the season.

Fuego FC will look completely different as it enters its third season. The club is retaining just one-third of its minutes contributors from a season ago and will be without Alexis Cerritos, Victor Falck, Jordan Chavez, Billy Forbes and Cherif Dieye, among many others. Encouraging additions to Jermaine Jones' first-year squad include 2022 League One champion Chris Heckenberg, former United States and Mexico youth national team goalkeeper Carlos Ávilez, USL Championship veteran and former Haiti international Ashkanov Apollon and Nicaragua national team prospect Emmanuel Gómez. Fuego FC will also retain 2022 All-League First Team midfielder José Carrera-García, Real Salt Lake Academy product Zahir Vasquez and San Jose Earthquakes Academy product Omar Lemus.