FC Dallas has hired Mark Briggs as an assistant coach for Eric Quill’s staff and Melissa Harris as first-team nutritionist. Briggs joins the staff after serving as head coach of USL Championship side Birmingham Legion FC during the 2025 season. Harris joins FC Dallas from Baylor University, where she served as assistant director of performance nutrition, overseeing more than 150 student-athletes.
“Mark is somebody I know extremely well after coaching against him in the USL Championship,” FC Dallas head coach Eric Quill said. “His teams have been highly successful, and they tend to play a similar style to how we’ve played here. They show mentality, focus, and consistency. He’s a competitor at his core and brings deep knowledge and experience. He’s a winner, and we’re a club that wants winners.”
Briggs has coached Birmingham Legion, Sacramento Republic, and Real Monarchs, compiling a regular-season record of 105-73-75. Before joining Birmingham, Briggs led Sacramento to the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final, becoming the first second-division club to do so since 2008.
A native of Wolverhampton, England, Briggs began his playing career with West Bromwich Albion before competing for several English and U.S. clubs. He holds a U.S. Soccer Pro License, the highest coaching certification in the country.
Prior to her time at Baylor, Harris worked as an associate performance dietitian at the University of Houston. She also held consulting roles with Jackson State football, the Frisco Fighters arena football team and Built 4 It Athletics.
Harris earned her bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University and a master’s degree from the University of Houston. She holds multiple professional certifications, including ISAK Level 1 and DEXA assessment training.
so are these two replacing people that left?