ATLANTA — ATL UTD 2 Friday announced Scott Donnelly as head coach of Atlanta’s expansion USL side. Donnelly brings more than 15 years of coaching experience and most recently served as an assistant coach with the U.S. U-18 Men’s National Team since 2014.
“Scott has a strong track record of helping develop young players and we’re happy to bring him on board to lead our USL staff,” Atlanta United Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra said. “He’s a great fit with his head coaching experience in addition to his knowledge of the youth setup and structure in the country.”
Donnelly joins ATL UTD 2 after holding multiple roles with U.S. Soccer since 2011, most recently as the assistant coach with the U.S. U-18 Men’s National Team. He also served as the technical advisor for the Northeast region of the United States, with responsibilities as the region’s chief scout and technical director, where he was responsible for identifying and tracking players from the region while developing strong relationships with academies across the country. In addition, he was on the coaching staff for the U.S. U-17 National Team at the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India where three Atlanta United academy products, Andrew Carleton, Chris Goslin and Justin Garces, played for the U.S. squad that reached the quarterfinals.
“I am excited to join ATL UTD 2 as the first head coach,” Donnelly said. “I am confident we can play an integral role in the club’s overall pyramid and provide a platform for our young players to perform and develop while supporting the First Team. As the bridge between the Academy and the First Team, our goals will be to not only prepare and push our players, but also to put together a strong team that represents this club and the fans of Atlanta United.”
Previously, Donnelly worked in college soccer for more than 10 years as both a head coach and associate head coach. His college coaching career included stops at Mars Hill College (NCAA Division II) from 2007-2009, Northern Illinois (NCAA Division I) from 2009-2012 and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (NCAA Division I) from 2012-2014. His Division I teams achieved four national rankings in five years while compiling a 62-36-5 overall record.
Donnelly holds a U.S. Soccer class “A” coaching license along with the Academy Director License, making him one of a select few coaches in the United States to hold the credential. He also brings a strong track record of developing young players. As a college coach, Donnelly was influential in developing 15 professional players and five MLS SuperDraft picks since 2014, most notably Chicago Fire defender Matt Polster, as well as Paxton Pomykal and Christian Volesky.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2018/1/625099/scott-donnelly-named-inaugural-atlanta-united-2-head-coach