The 2016 FC Cincinnati season was the club's first season of existence, and their first in the United Soccer League, the third-tier of the American soccer pyramid. FC Cincinnati play in the Eastern Division of USL. On April 16, the club set the USL's regular season attendance record, with 20,497. They broke this record twice more later in their season, first on May 14 with 23,375 attendees, then again on September 17 with an attendance of 24,376. On July 20, with five games left, the club broke the USL's single season attendance record.

John Andrew Harkes is an American soccer coach and former professional player who last coached Greenville Triumph SC.