New head coach, Rick Wright rounds out staff ahead of 2024 home opener
Greenville, SC (March 6, 2024)- The Greenville Triumph and new Head Coach, Rick Wright have announced the club’s 2024 Technical Staff ahead of its home opener against Spokane Velocity on March 9th. Wright has welcomed newcomers, Mark Ward and Juan “Choco” Villegas, in addition to returning staff members Julie Carlson, Chris Monczewski, and Rachel Gordon for the 2024 season.
Mark Ward will serve as the Assistant Coach, helping with training, matches and recruiting. The last three years he was the director of coaching and USL Academy director for the Chattanooga Red Wolves. During his tenure, he assisted in developing more than 50 athletes who went on to compete at the collegiate level. Additionally, Ward assisted in developing five young players who secured Academy contracts with the Red Wolves USL League One side and one player who signed a professional contract with the first team directly from Red Wolves Academy. Prior to joining Chattanooga, Ward honed his coaching skills as an assistant coach at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. He is the holder of the USSF B License and is currently pursuing an A License.
Juan “Choco” Villegas will serve as the team’s Goalkeeping Coach. Villegas is a former professional goalkeeper with more than 10 years of experience playing in the top divisions of Colombia and Argentina. Following his playing years, he successfully transitioned into coaching, accumulating over 10 years of experience at various levels. Villegas is certified by both the Argentine Soccer Coaches Association (ATFA) under CONMEBOL and the US Soccer Federation, demonstrating his commitment to coaching excellence. He currently serves as Diplomat Premier Director at the Carolina Elite Soccer Academy (CESA), where he is dedicated to developing young players.
Julie Carlson returns to the club for the third season. In addition to her role as Liberty Head Coach and Technical Director, she will assist the Coach Wright as a part of the USL Forward program. USL Forward is a pro preseason residency program dedicated to providing promising coaches with experiential learning opportunities. With the Liberty, she led the team to the W League Semifinals, a South Atlantic division title and a 6-0 home record in the club’s inaugural campaign. Prior to her time in Greenville, Carlson served as Director of Operations for women’s soccer at Clemson University from 2018-2021. She holds a USSF ‘A’ license and was the head coach of the women’s soccer programs at Anderson University, Jacksonville State and the Virginia Military Institute, where she built the women’s soccer program from the ground up.
Ryan Mckie will continue his role at as the High Performance Coach in partnership with Knight Performance Factory. He will provide strength and recovery training for the men’s side for the sixth season. McKie brings over 10 years of experience in the fitness industry, having trained athletes from the PGA, LPGA, NFL, CFL, MLS and MLB. He is an Upstate local having competed for both Hillcrest High School and Furman University’s football teams.
Chris Monczewski will return as the Manager of Soccer operations for his second year, working as the liaison for the technical staff and overseeing the team’s operations. Prior to working with the club, he spent the two seasons on the training squad while competing as a goalkeeper at Bob Jones University, helping the Bruins capture two NCCAA National Championships. Prior to completing his graduate studies, Monczewski interned with Knight Performance Factory, and served on the match day staff for both the Triumph and Liberty.
Rachel Gordon returns as the Triumph’s official Athletic Trainer through Spartanburg Regional Health System. This marks Gordon’s third season helping players recover from injuries and return to the field. Before beginning with the club in 2022, she aided Appalachian State Athletics after earning her M.S. in Athletic Training from the University of South Carolina.
See our staff in action this weekend as the Greenville Triumph kicks off its home opener! Get your tickets here.
