With deep sadness, the United Soccer League and its clubs today mourn our colleague and friend, John Cochol, who passed away on Thursday evening. Our condolences and hearts are with John’s family, friends, and loved ones. 

John was a valued member of the USL family. Known for his warm smile, gregarious personality, infectious laugh, deep love for his family, unwavering passion for the USL and our clubs – and, of course, his love of wrestling and karaoke – John made a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of working with him. 

Since joining USL in 2015, John played a vital role in the growth of our league and clubs. Recruited to join the league as the leader of its newly formed Club Services department after tremendous success in the first four seasons of Orlando City SC’s history, he generously shared his knowledge and built lasting relationships across our organization. 

His work ethic, presence, humor, and heart made the USL and its clubs better. From the beginning of his tenure, John was never afraid to jump in and make a difference. At the end of his first year with the league, he could be found morning to night working the phones selling tickets and packages to the 2015 USL Championship Final before becoming the life of the party as staff convened in the evenings building up to the game. 

The expertise he brought saw John rise to the position of Senior Vice President, Club Services, where he played a crucial role in the league’s growth in attendance across all its properties. His legacy is now visible in the stadiums across the USL ecosystem. 

John is survived by his wife, Ashley, and their son, Brett. On behalf of all of us at USL, we extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to John’s family. If you would like to support John’s family during this incredibly difficult time, a GoFundMe has been created to help ease the burden now facing Ashley and Brett: Fundraiser by Mallory Pirozzi: Fundraiser by Mallory Pirozzi : Help John's Family Through This Difficult Time 

We’re grateful for the time we had with John, and we will miss him dearly.