SEASIDE >> Given the unenviable task of being brought in to replace a Hall of Fame coach and resurrect a franchise fumbling down the stretch, Jordan Stewart was also hired with an eye on the future.

Changing the identity on the field, while altering the culture in the locker room after Stewart signed a multi-year contract to become the new Monterey Bay F.C. coach with 12 matches left did not create the spark the franchise was searching for.

As players for the Union cleared out their lockers — some for the final time, Stewart was in his office at Cardinale Stadium last week, turning the page and his attention toward 2025.

“There has to be some drastic changes,” Stewart said. “It’s harder to miss the playoffs than make them. And we haven’t made them in three years. It’s up to me to change that. It’s unacceptable.”

The Union were just 1-7-4 down the stretch under Stewart, who replaced sporting director and head coach Frank Yallop on Aug. 5.

As Monterey Bay F.C. begins its fourth off-season, the priorities over the next eight weeks could dictate overhauling a roster that struggled mightily offensively.

The Union failed to manufacture a goal in 16 of their final 28 matches, including a stretch of six matches between August and September.

“I’ve never been part of something like that as a player or coach,” Stewart said. “The final third of action on the field wasn’t good enough. We couldn’t find the net.”For Stewart, the low point in the season came when the Union dropped a 1-0 match in Miami, which at the time was in a 17-game winless drought and had won just three matches all season.

Monterey Bay F.C. went more than 500 minutes without scoring, falling to two teams that sat at the bottom of the Western and Eastern Conference’s of the United Soccer League Championship.

“For me the turning point was failing to score goals against three teams that were lower than us in the standings,” Stewart said. “If you can’t score goals, you can’t reach the playoffs.”

The Union went in the wrong direction when it came to establishing franchise records this past season, enduring a six-game scoring drought and a stretch of 11 matches without a win.

The 34 points were the lowest in their brief three-year existence, as was the amount of wins (8), finishing with the third worst record in the USL, producing the third-lowest goal total in the league.

“The winning mentality inside you is affected when you’re struggling,” Stewart said. “Yes, I came here with the intent of making the playoffs. But the long-term vision has to overshadow that.”

Stewart isn’t disputing that injuries to top line players crippled the franchise throughout the season. Yet, the numbers showed that opportunities presented themselves.

“We had a high possession rate,” Stewart said. “Ultimately, possessions don’t equate to goals. We had double figures in attempts. But on target was 20 percent. That’s never going to win games.”

That has only heightened the 42-year-old Stewart’s beliefs that the depth on the roster — particularly on the offensive end — has to be addressed in the off-season.

“We’ll be working on that, trying to get players in the door,” Stewart said. “We’re looking at the depth chart and seeing where we can improve at each position. With the amount of games (34) and travel, we need a deeper squad.”

Stewart downplayed the significance of only having 12 matches to change a culture, feeling what he was implementing gave him an indication of what needs to be addressed moving forward.

“Losing as many games as we did isn’t something I’m proud of,” Stewart said. “But to see the training spill over into the games will help in terms of who we need to keep and what areas we need to improve upon. This was not a 12-game fix.”

Having an entire offseason to build his roster has the former San Jose Earthquake and Premier League midfielder/defender already on the phone with agents and prospective free agents.

“Oh, having an off-season is huge,” said Stewart. “The key for us is identifying what we need to improve on, where were we strong, where we were weak?”

While he doesn’t have a budget like the World Series champion Dodgers, restraints in the USL are a misconception in the mind of Stewart.

“You start early, speak to agents and clubs about player loans,” Stewart said. “I have links to soccer clubs in Europe. If you’re proactive, there’s no reason you can’t have a roster that can compete with the budget we’re allotted.”

As much as the Union struggled offensively, 11 of the 12 matches under Stewart were decided by one goal or less, with the defense — anchored by captain and two-time team defensive MVP Kai Greene — not allowing a goal in four of those matches.

“Defensively, we were quite sound,” Stewart said. “We were forced to rely on a younger group to fill in with injuries. It affected us offensively. You want to give your younger players experience. But you need people at the same level when injuries occur.”

Monterey Bay F.C. played the final month without leading scorer Tristan Trager and the team’s single-season goal record holder in Alex Dixon. It also lost the services of Chase Boone for the year early in the season.

“Anytime you lose your top goal scorers, it’s going to affect you,” Stewart said. “You are asking the next guy to be that same player. It builds pressure on that person. Did it affect us — 100 percent. That’s a learning lesson.”

Ironically, Stewart’s only win as a coach after signing a multi-year contract came against defending USL champion Phoenix on the road. It’s also where he played his last professional season in 2017.

While Stewart stopped short in suggesting players were auditioning for 2025 over the final two weeks of the season, he already had an eye on 2025 with his approach, with an understanding of what he needs to do in the off-season to improve his roster.

“You want to be proactive at the end of the season,” Stewart said. “What we worked on for the matches was important, even after being eliminated. We can’t be super flat like we were in the first half against Tulsa in our final game. It’s up to me to come in and change that.”

Unable to win a home match after June 22 was perplexing. Yet, it didn’t keep the Union from filling up Cardinale Stadium, albeit in a more tame environment.

“The fans have been tremendously loyal,” Stewart said. “You have to make opponents uncomfortable in your fortress. When we start winning games, it will create a different atmosphere.”