Zach Gladieux, an integral part of Fort Wayne Football Club since it first took to the pitch, will return as Equipment Manager for the club’s first season in USL League One.
“I am so excited for the club and the supporters to be involved in USL League One,” Gladieux said. “I’m counting down the days for the stadium to be finished, and I can’t wait to experience our first home match on May 2.”
Gladieux, 28, began with Fort Wayne FC as an intern in 2021 and became Equipment Manager in 2022. With Gladieux in the role, Fort Wayne FC won division titles in 2023, 2024 and 2025, and the club reached the conference semifinals in 2024 and 2025, all in the pre-professional level of USL League Two.
In 2026, Fort Wayne will compete in the fully professional level of USL League One, which will have 18 clubs across the nation. Fort Wayne FC’s 38-match schedule was unveiled earlier this month.
“While it could appear that Zach is a ‘behind the scenes’ worker for the club, the truth is that he is an integral part of what we do,” Fort Wayne FC coach Mike Avery said. “Zach has been instrumental in helping us create an environment where the players can flourish. The attention to detail, work ethic, passion for the team – these are qualities that we have all come to really appreciate in Zach. I’m thrilled he is continuing this journey with us. It is an opportunity for him professionally that is both well-earned and well-deserved.”
A native of Fort Wayne, Gladieux graduated from Bishop Dwenger and Purdue Fort Wayne. He has experience refereeing and coaching youth soccer players.
Fort Wayne FC’s first season in professional soccer begins March 7 at FC Naples, in Naples, Florida, the first of five consecutive road matches. The first match at Fort Wayne FC Park, the new state-of-the-art, soccer-specific stadium being built at Bass Road and I-69, will be May 2 against the Charlotte Independence.
About Fort Wayne Football Club
Fort Wayne Football Club, founded in 2019, is a professional soccer club playing its first season in USL League One in 2026. The club is building a state-of-the-art, soccer-specific stadium, Fort Wayne FC Park, that will open at Bass Road and I-69 in 2026. In pre-professional USL League Two, Fort Wayne Football Club won division titles in 2023, 2024 and 2025. For more information, visit FortWayneFC.com.
About United Soccer League
Founded in 1986, the United Soccer League (USL) is the largest and fastest-growing soccer organization in the United States, impacting more than 200 communities nationwide. The USL is the first and only organization to offer a comprehensive youth-to-professional pathway for both men and women under one ecosystem. This structure includes four men’s leagues: the newly announced, top-tier professional Division I league, the USL Championship (Division II), USL League One (Division III), and USL League Two (pre-professional). The women’s pathway includes the top-tier USL Super League (Division I), which debuted in 2024, and USL W League, the country’s leading pre-professional women’s league. The USL also oversees USL Academy, a progressive talent development platform, and USL Youth, a premier national youth platform.