I was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland and moved to the US with my parents in February 2001. Even though none of my family played soccer, we still loved the sport, and I started playing as soon as I could walk. Growing up, I loved all things soccer. Playing, watching games on the TV, reading magazines, collecting trading cards; if it was related to soccer, I probably loved doing it. One of my earliest soccer memories was watching Liverpool beat AS Roma 2-1 at Giants Stadium in the 2004 preseason. I can still hear the atmosphere and the songs to this day.
My first coaching experience was as an assistant to my mum on my little sister’s rec soccer team when I was 11. Throughout my playing career, I was always intrigued by coaching and often found myself in leadership roles in my teams due to my desire to help my teammates improve.
After graduating from Moravian College, I went to play in Alicante, Spain where I realized that I couldn’t play forever and needed to figure out what my next steps would be. I always felt deep down that I still belonged in the game in some capacity. I took my first official coaching course in Spain, and once I stopped playing, I returned to the US and started volunteer coaching at my old high school, Pequannock Township High School.
I then joined Red Bulls in March 2024, very raw, but very eager to learn. Through the help of the tremendous education program here at RBYP, I was able to develop quickly. I won RBYP Rookie Coach of the Year in 2024 and was selected as one of EDP’s “30 Promising Coaches Under 30” in January 2025.
A big challenge I faced early was forming a team culture myself. So often in my soccer life, I had helped maintain and hold the standard in team environments, but I had never established one myself as a head coach. This took time, but with support from my fellow coaches and management, I was able to add that skill to my toolbox.
The thing that allows me to stay disciplined in chasing my career goals is watching youth players fall in love with the game and develop. It makes me think back to when I was that age, playing the sport because it was fun. I try to be the coach I would’ve wanted as a kid.
My mentor in college once told me, “After you hang up the boots, look to give back to the game as it has given so much to you.” I live by that mantra every day that I coach.
It’s true, soccer has given me so much. Amazing mentors, top coaches, lifelong friends, 4 great years at university, 2 years living abroad, and now I have the opportunity to return the favor.
If I can make even just 1 player fall in love with soccer, I have done my duty as a coach.
Current Position: Coach with Hoboken United, RBYP Regional Coordinator
Joined Red Bulls Youth Programs: March 2024
