Pittsburgh Soccer Now<\/a> reported.<\/p>\nWhen asked about his time with Lilley, Biasi provided limited information.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Bob did a good job with us,\u201d Biasi said. \u201cHe set us up to play tactically and be organized and work together and make teams feel our presence. I think when Rob stepped in, there was a little more of fluidity and composure and creativity. That\u2019s all I\u2019ll say there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rising begins their 34-match schedule on March 7 when they host San Antonio. Biasi can\u2019t wait to get started.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can see everyone\u2019s bought in and dedicated \u2014 coaches here early in the morning, players asking questions, watching film. We have meetings every day, whether it\u2019s the littlest thing or the longest thing,\u201d he said. \u201cEveryone\u2019s invested in that goal. It\u2019s cool to see, and I can\u2019t wait to see where it progresses.\u201d<\/p>\n
This <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org\/2026\/02\/12\/luke-biasi-phoenix-rising\/”>article<\/a> first appeared on <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org”>Cronkite News<\/a> and is republished here under a <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/4.0\/”>Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRising\u2019s Luke Biasi enjoys Phoenix\u2019s embrace after winning USL championship in Pittsburgh<\/p>\n
Thomas Bonvehi, Cronkite News
\nFebruary 12, 2026<\/p>\n
PHOENIX \u2013 Luke Biasi spent three years with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, making 120 appearances and winning the USL Championship in 2025 when Pittsburgh defeated Tulsa on penalties in the final.<\/p>\n
Despite that resume, Biasi, a 26-year-old defender, joined Phoenix Rising as the club\u2019s first offseason signing. That required an explanation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the club speaks for itself in terms of market and location, as it is as a city as well,\u201d Biasi said at a news conference. \u201cI\u2019ve heard from past players that I\u2019m acquainted with and good friends, that this is a club that is very professionally run. Their mindset towards winning is there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Biasi made it clear that another key factor in the move west was his own ambition.<\/p>\n
\u201cPhoenix was the next step to keep progressing my career,\u201d he said. \u201cI know that the atmosphere on Saturday night is amazing. I know that they are always shooting to keep raising the level.\u201d<\/p>\n
Biasi said joining a new team can be nerve-racking, but after the first practice, he knew Phoenix was his new home.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou just never know what locker rooms can be like,\u201d Biasi said. \u201cThey can be toxic, they can have egos, but first day, I felt like I was at home already. I called my parents, I called my girlfriend and I was like \u2018I love it.\u2019 I think this place is a home for me. I think I told Pa first day in the locker room, \u2018I love it here.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Rising coach Pa-Modou Kah shares that love. He loves Biasi\u2019s experience and personality.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re talking about a champion that chose to come here,\u201d Kah said. \u201cHe wants to do great things with the club and he\u2019s a team guy, a great personality, never shies away from saying what he thinks for the betterment of the team. Those are the type of characters you want in your locker room.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rising sporting director Brandon McCarthy appreciates Biasi\u2019s versatility.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have a 30-person club depth. This isn\u2019t a massive club,\u201d McCarthy said during a news conference in late January. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to be creative with where players can go, and if they get pigeonholed quickly, and they can only play in one place, and if someone beats him to that space, you kind of have a dead roster spot. A player like Luke, you can use him in three different spots comfortably without a drop in quality.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite Biasi being a new signing, he is one of the most experienced players in the league, having joined in 2022. That experience made him an instant leader for Rising.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve seen myself grow a lot,\u201d Biasi said. \u201cJust see things differently, whether that\u2019s on the field or off the field, communicating with people. As for here, I try to have that leadership role of knowing what it\u2019s like to be in those shoes. If someone makes a mistake, showing them what they should\u2019ve done rather than just getting frustrated and yelling at them.\u201d<\/p>\n
The change in scenery allowed Biasi to escape some trouble in Pittsburgh that he saw firsthand.<\/p>\n
On Oct. 10. 2025, just a month before the USL Playoffs, coach Bob Lilley was put on administrative leave. Lilley had been the coach of the Riverhounds since 2017. Rob Vincent took over and led the team to the first championship in their 26-year history.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lilley had cleaned out his office a week after the victory, and Matt Grubba, a club spokesman, said the club would provide further information soon, but did not currently have anything else to share about Lilley\u2019s departure, Pittsburgh Soccer Now reported.<\/p>\n
When asked about his time with Lilley, Biasi provided limited information.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Bob did a good job with us,\u201d Biasi said. \u201cHe set us up to play tactically and be organized and work together and make teams feel our presence. I think when Rob stepped in, there was a little more of fluidity and composure and creativity. That\u2019s all I\u2019ll say there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rising begins their 34-match schedule on March 7 when they host San Antonio. Biasi can\u2019t wait to get started.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can see everyone\u2019s bought in and dedicated \u2014 coaches here early in the morning, players asking questions, watching film. We have meetings every day, whether it\u2019s the littlest thing or the longest thing,\u201d he said. \u201cEveryone\u2019s invested in that goal. It\u2019s cool to see, and I can\u2019t wait to see where it progresses.\u201d<\/p>\n
This article first appeared on Cronkite News and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.<\/p>\n
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