Mount Pleasant Football Club, the 2023 Jamaica Premier League (JPL) champions, has announced that the contracts of head coach Theodore Whitmore and his technical staff will not be renewed. The club is set to embark on a new direction that aligns Mount Pleasant Academy with the Football Club.
Mount Pleasant announced that the contracts of Whitmore and his staff will expire on July 31, 2024. In a statement, the club cited the need for a new direction as the reason for the change.
"The club is embarking on a new direction which synchronizes Mount Pleasant Academy and Mount Pleasant Football Club," the statement read. "Mount Pleasant will shortly announce a new technical team to chart the course of the club. The club is committed to achieving all the sporting goals and objectives entering this new phase and new direction."
Whitmore, who joined Mount Pleasant in July 2022, led the team to its first JPL title last year, triumphing over Cavalier 2-1 in the finals. His tenure followed his departure from the national senior men's football team in December 2021.
Mount Pleasant relinquished their title when they lost to Cavalier 3-4 on penalties in the 2024 final.
Following the success in 2023, an elated owner Peter Goule told Sportsmax.TV highlighted the club's long-term vision. "We are pretty excited, we have put a lot of work into the academy and the platform is well and truly set to accomplish all that we want to. It will take a few years to build a complete institution, but we have people willing to come along and help us to move to another level, so we firmly believe we will be able to get there and put Jamaica’s football on the map the real way," he said then.
It has now become apparent that Coach Whitmore will not be part of that vision.
"The club wishes to express profound gratitude to Coach Whitmore and his technical team for their leadership over the past two seasons which brought glory and success to the club. Their invaluable contribution has seen Mount Pleasant Football Academy make an indelible mark in the Jamaica Premier League and in the parish of St Ann. We wish them all the best in their endeavours going forward."
Whitmore's departure marks a significant change for Mount Pleasant as they look to build on their recent success and continue their development both on and off the pitch.