If your online presence is even tangential to USL, you likely saw the news that El Paso Locomotive’s manager, Mark Lowry, is leaving the club after three years. The manager leaves having been there since day one of the club’s existence and leaves a solid foundation and a track record of success in his wake. Three playoff appearances out of three, two Conference Finals appearances and a 25 match home unbeaten streak are among his top achievements in his three seasons in El Paso. He departs now for the Eastern Conference and Indy Eleven and his primary reason for doing so is the lack of attention he was getting from MLS teams for his achievement.

Mark Lowry has become a known quantity through his exploits in El Paso but his journey there was anything but straightforward. He is from Birmingham, England and is a staunch Aston Villa supporter. When he was starting out he had played at the lower levels of English football, getting his start at Coventry City before playing a couple seasons at non league levels. His passion was always in coaching though, and he had his UEFA coaching badges complete by his early 20’s.

He came to the United States seeking new opportunities and eventually landed a coaching job with Orlando City SC’s academy. Having cut his teeth at the youth and U-23 levels, Lowry headed to then-NASL club Jacksonville Armada where he was the assistant to manager and former US Men’s National Team Centurion Tony Meola. When Meola was dismissed in 2016 having collected just two wins from his 18 matches in charge, Lowry was handed the reins.

His first season with the head job, he was taking over part of the way into a fall season which was essentially a wash given Meola’s struggles. Jacksonville ended the 2016 season 2nd bottom and Mark knew he had his work cut out for him. The following season, Jacksonville was much improved. Mark had imposed his style on the squad, asking them to play with the ball and dominate their opponent at a level where the common wisdom was get some big strikers out there and lump it forward.

Many of the names that Mark had at his disposal in 2017 will be familiar to Locomotive fans as well. Drew Beckie, Derek Gebhard, Mechack Jerome, Bryam Rebellon, Kalen Ryden and Jack Blake all featured for that Armada squad. In the end, Armada were unlucky to not make the playoffs, missing out by just 2 points to the New York Cosmos. Then, suddenly, everything changed.

The NASL had its Division 2 status revoked by the United States Soccer Federation and the “Soccer Warz” as they are well known online, came to a very palpable head. This precipitated a couple of things. First, the NASL sued USSF over the ruling, a lawsuit that drags on to this day. Second, the NASL clubs needed to find a home. They did, at least in the short term, in the Division 4 NPSL. This gave Lowry a free hit of a season at a lower level with this group of players, but it also had him looking for a return to the professional ranks of the game. Out in the West Texas town of El Paso, opportunity came calling.

In 2019, the head coaching job at the expansion club El Paso Locomotive (which was not even technically called that when Lowry was announced) was a completely blank slate. To Lowry, this was an opportunity to make something completely in his own image. He was brought in by MountainStar Sports Group, the owners of Locomotive, as both the Head Coach and Technical Director. He would have near complete autonomy to build the squad as he saw fit and have them play as he wanted them to play. The initial steps were that of a coach who was building from scratch and again, none of his future success was guaranteed.

Lowry’s tenure in El Paso actually began on quite a sour note. A goal for visiting Oklahoma City Energy just 12 seconds into the inaugural match and home opener kicked off a 3-1 defeat and the lofty heights that Locomotive have hit since seemed like a long way off. Lowry’s style seemed to be taking precedence over substance and results were middling for a while. What fans learned though is that Lowry is uncompromising of his principles and was also ruthless in making sure the team was up to his standards.

To that end, he made mid-season signings of Jerome Kiesewetter and Sebastian Velasquez which powered Locomotive into the playoff places and then Lowry’s mentality seemed to send this team to a new level. Down 2-1 with just 13 minutes of regular time to play in Fresno in the first round of the USL Western Conference Playoffs, magic emerged. James Kiffe, a left footed fullback, scored an absolute thunderbolt from the top of the 18 yard box with his right foot. Just 6 minutes later, Josue Aaron Gomez was fouled in the area and a Velasquez penalty sent Locomotive through over the favored Foxes. A 3-0 home win in El Paso sent Locomotive to the Western Conference Final in their first ever season. This set the tone and expectation for Locomotive from there.

Despite the challenges presented in the 2020 season due to COVID, the core of Locomotive stuck around to play for Lowry. The format was different and shortened but Locomotive improved on their previous year’s showing. They won their group and amassed the fourth best record in the USL Western Conference. Former Indy Eleven and Miami FC standout Dylan Mares was the marquee signing who raised the level of the squad this time. Lowry’s style was even more apparent but it also added unpredictability and a cutting edge. Home penalty shootout playoff wins against FC Tulsa and New Mexico United sent Locomotive to another Western Conference Final. Despite the ultimate loss at that stage to Phoenix, Lowry’s Locomotive was proving that the success of season one was no fluke.

2021 for Lowry and Locomotive felt like a new level even still. The language in the preseason was that they were out to win a trophy. This was not the usual platitudes either. Their kit announcement video during preseason showed Lowry in a sharp suit on an El Paso rooftop talking about winning it all. They brought in dynamic pieces to support this mission. The addition of striker Lucho Solignac and emerging wonderkid Diego Luna proved to be inspired moves. Locomotive looked every bit of the contender that Lowry had insisted they would be. Their first loss did not come until 8 games into the season. The second came 19 games in. Lowry had the squad ticking.

They waltzed to a division title in this further COVID-affected USL format by a 12 point margin over San Antonio FC, averaging 1.75 goals per game while allowing just over a goal a match while doing it. Late in the season, signs started to pop up that something might be afoot. Uncharacteristically embarrassing losses to LA Galaxy II and Rio Grande Valley after the division had been clinched sent up some warning signals. The real shock came a matter of weeks ago, with Jordan Ferrell’s upstart Oakland Roots, formerly of NISA, shocking USL with a 1-0 win in El Paso which was Locomotive’s first defeat at home since August 1, 2020. The post match press conference began to let doubt creep into Locomotive fans’ minds.

The terms that Lowry used after the disappointing defeat seemed to exclude him from the future. “I know this club and these supporters will get everything they deserve.” It felt final, and it felt like that match was not the reason. It turned out that was the case.

It was announced November 15, 2021 that Lowry was departing Locomotive for Indy Eleven, another USL club. Many people saw the move and asked how Lowry could possibly want to move to a different club at the same level as Locomotive but the reality was that Lowry’s ambition was not being matched by attention at the next level.

“There are 7 or 8 open MLS jobs and my phone hasn’t rung,” said Lowry in an interview with Colin Deaver, of KTSM9 News in El Paso. The door to MLS seems to be closed right now to USL managers. “I see it as my job to kick that door open and I think I can best do that with Indy,” said Lowry.

Indy Eleven have underachieved in the last 2 seasons in USL, missing the playoffs despite boasting an ambitious ownership group who is on the verge of opening a new stadium for the squad. Lowry seems to be landing there just in time to create a project much like he did in El Paso. Indy needs direction and if they let Lowry build they will likely be well on their way to more success like they have historically had.

As for what is next for Locomotive, the list of potential managers who would see Locomotive as a tantalizing prospect is long. Elsewhere in the USL Championship, there is former Detroit City FC boss Ben Pirmann who turned Memphis 901 FC from an also-ran to a playoff contender. Jordan Ferrell, the Oakland Roots boss who bested Lowry in the playoffs would be another legitimate option within the League.

Looking at Division 3 level, there are 2 quality clubs about to meet in the USL League 1 Final, Union Omaha and Greenville Triumph, who sport impressive candidates. John Harkes, who achieved such success with the USL edition of FC Cincinnati and is a legend of US Soccer feels like a great option. Jay Mims, a younger manager who has experience at Real Salt Lake’s Academy prior to getting the main gig at Omaha, feels like the most similar candidate to Lowry when he was hired. Mims also has Omaha playing unbelievable football for the level, scoring 44 goals in just 28 games but perhaps more impressively only allowing 22.

Elsewhere in Division 3, NISA seems like a logical option for a candidate but with Trevor James of Detroit City getting the chance to make the jump to the USL Championship, the best candidate is likely not available.

Locomotive and Mark Lowry’s tracks have diverged and this represents a huge moment for both of them. El Paso will need to get the next appointment spot on to continue the positive momentum that Lowry has created around the club. For Lowry, expectations will be high at Indy and a couple slow seasons could stop his momentum as well. Both will be desperate to get this next bit right and as a fan of both, I sure hope they do.

- Special Guest Writer, Phil Baki

Phil can be found on twitter at @PhilTalksFooty and is the CoHost of @TwoRedGringos, founder of @SeriouslyLoco as well as @HxCFootball (Hardcore Football)