Paul Buckle Out As Sacramento Republic FC Coach

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Paul Buckle, the husband of NBC soccer host Rebecca Lowe, is out as coach of the Sacramento Republic of the second-tier United Soccer League.

Buckle was hired in July 2015 to replace Preki Radosavljevic and led the team to 31 wins, 19 losses and 21 ties. The Republic reached the playoffs in all three seasons and won the Western Conference in 2016.

The team made the announcement Thursday, saying Buckle's departure was by mutual agreement.

Former MLS and World Cup player Simon Elliot has been announced as the team's new head coach.

Elliot was previously Republic FC's coach for the team's U17 academy.

When Buckle was hired by the Republic, the couple moved to California from Westport, Connecticut. Lowe has commuted since then for weekend broadcasts at NBC's studios in Stamford, Connecticut.

Buckle is a former midfielder for several English clubs and has pro coaching licenses from UEFA and the U.S. Soccer Federation. Lowe has hosted NBC's Premier League coverage since the start of the 2013-14 season.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press.