San Diego Surf’s Danny Tonks and SLSG’s Ralph Richards earn ECNL coaching awards

The ECNL announced the 2023 KwikGoal Coaches of the Year for the ECNL Boys and ECNL Girls leagues. ECNL Boys coach Danny Tonks of San Diego Surf and ECNL Girls coach Ralph Richards of St. Louis Scott Gallagher received this year’s honors. Both coaches led their teams to extraordinary seasons this year, capped with ECNL National Championships this summer.

Tonks, who is also the ECNL Boys Director for San Diego Surf, helped oversee an incredible season that culminated with Surf lifting three ECNL Boys National Championships this summer as a club. As head coach, Tonks led Surf to the ECNL Boys U18/19 National Championship at the ECNL Boys National Playoffs in Greensboro, North Carolina, and followed that up by coaching Surf’s U16 side to an ECNL National Championship in Norco, California at the ECNL Boys National Finals, while also assisting Surf’s U13s en route to their first-ever ECNL title.

“It’s an amazing honor and privilege,” Tonks said. “This award represents everything about our team at Surf. Without our incredible staff, players, and their supportive families, none of our success would have been possible.”

“Danny has a passion and a love for the game that you only get if you grew up with the game,” said San Diego Surf Technical Director Josh Henderson. “He has been at Surf for eight years now and has done everything we have asked of him from a club perspective. He started at the younger girls’ program, worked his way up to the ECNL Girls program, and earned the right to take over the ECNL Boys program. He brings a much needed leadership to that program and the success he’s had is second to none in the short time he’s been there.”

On the girls side, in his final season as head coach and ECNL Director at St. Louis Scott Gallagher Navy, Richards led his U17 side to their second consecutive ECNL Girls National Championship at the ECNL Girls National Finals in Richmond. The 2022 championship was the club’s first ever ECNL National Championship, and by defending their championship, they became only the third team to repeat as ECNL National Champions, marking them as one of the truly great teams in ECNL history.

“It is an incredible honor to be named the ECNL Girls Kwik Goal Coach of the Year,” said Richards. “This award is recognition for the entire coaching staff at St. Louis Scott Gallagher, who have all made their contribution to the growth and development of these amazing young ladies.”