US Youth Soccer South Region ODP coaching staff announced

The US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program (ODP) has announced the South Region coaching assignments for the 2019-20 season.

This July, the 2002-07 Boys and Girls are groups will gather for ID Camps. The Boys teams will be located at the University of Alabama and the Girls teams will be located at the University of Montevallo. From here, the South Region coaching staff will select players to compete in the ODP Girls Thanksgiving Interregional in Boca Raton, Florida, and the ODP Boys Interregional in Bradenton, Florida.

Girls ODP Camp 
July 6 – 10 | 2006, 2007 Age Groups
July 11 – 15 | 2004, 2005 Age Groups
July 15 – 17 | Holdovers
July 17 – 21 | 2002, 2003 Age Groups

Boys ODP Camp 
July 8 – 12 | 2003-2005 Age Groups
July 12 – 15 | Holdovers
July 13 – 17 | 2002 & 2006/2007 Age Groups

Click here to see the West Region Coaching Staff
Click here to see the East Region Coaching Staff

South Region Boys Coaches

Nick Finotti is the 2002 Boys Head Coach. He is currently an assistant coach at Wofford College after spending the last 15 years with a South Carolina youth club. He holds his USSF National “A” License and he has led squads to 16 South Carolina state championships.

Paul Conway is the 2002 Boys Assistant Coach. He holds his USSF National “A” License and he is a youth club coach in Mississippi.

Jason Smith will serve as the 2002 Boys Assistant Coach. Smith has more than 20 years head coaching experience at the professional level, Atlanta Silverbacks, and the collegiate level, most notably Piedmont College.

Steve Allison is the 2003 Boys Head Coach. Allison coached at the collegiate level for more than 20 years, served as a U.S. Soccer Scout for 16 years, and has been a US Youth Soccer ODP coach at the regional level since 1987. Over the years, Allison has coached notable Major League Soccer and U.S. Men’s National Team players – including Ike Opara, Brian Carroll, and Sam Cronin.

Garth Pollonais is the 2003 Boys Assistant Coach. He has coached at the professional level and college level. He is currently a U.S. Soccer Development Academy Director for a club in Texas.

Carl Fleming is the 2003 Boys Assistant Coach. He is currently a U.S. Youth Soccer National Team scout. He has been on the US Youth Soccer ODP South Region staff since 2012.

Wolfgang Suhnholz is the 2004 Boys Head Coach. Suhnholz, a 17-year professional in Europe for Bayern Munich and other clubs, has been a head coach for the US Youth Soccer ODP South Region since 2002. He was a U.S. National Team coach from 1996-01 and he was an assistant coach for the U-16 and U-20 National Teams from 1996-99.

Brian Harvey is the 2004 Boys Assistant Coach. He has served as the men’s and women’s head coach at the Oklahoma City University since 1986 and 1994, respectively. He has a .699 winning percentage (777-315-66) with both programs and he has served as a US Youth Soccer ODP South Region coach for more than 15 years.

Carl Schmitt is the 2004 Boys Assistant Coach. He is a U.S. Soccer Youth National Team Scout and he has been a member of the US Youth Soccer ODP South Region staff since 2012.

Charlie Morgan is the 2005 Boys Head Coach. He has been involved with the US Youth Soccer ODP at the state and regional level for more than 20 years. He has coached at all levels in American soccer and he has won 13 State Championships in Georgia. He has coached a handful of players who have represented the U.S. at various youth World Cups.

Serge Lipovetsky is the 2005 Boys Assistant Coach. He is currently the Technical Director of Coaching at the Mississippi Soccer Association. He is also an assistant coach at Mississippi College.

Ryan Lazaroe is the 2005 Boys Assistant Coach. He holds his USSF National “A” License and he is a youth coach in Louisiana.

Doug Allison is the 2006 Boys Head Coach. He just completed his 24th season as men’s head coach at Furman University. He has compiled 285 wins and has made 10 NCAA DI postseason tournaments. Allison has coached notable U.S. Men’s National Team players – including Clint Dempsey, Ricardo Clark and Walker Zimmerman.

Thad Miller is the 2006 Boys Assistant Coach. He has been involved with the US Youth Soccer ODP South Region staff for a number of years and he is a youth club coach in South Carolina.

Jacob Daniel is the US Youth Soccer ODP South Region Head Coach. Daniel has been a staff member of Georgia Soccer for more than 25 years. He is the longest serving Director of Coaching in the United States.

South Region Girls Coaches 

Patrick Baker brings more than 30 years experience at the collegiate level as the 2002/2003 Girls Head Coach. Baker is currently the women’s soccer head coach at Florida Athletic University after previously serving at Rollins College, Georgia University, Florida State, Pennsylvania, and N.C. Wesleyan. He is the only women’s soccer coach in history to take teams to the DI, DII, DIII postseason tournaments. He was named 2003 National Coach of the Year by Soccer America and has coached in the US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program since 1990.

Eric Faulconer is the 2002/2003 Girls Assistant Coach. At the end of the 2018 collegiate season, Faulconer was named the head coach of North Florida women’s soccer. Previously, Faulconer was at the head coach at Armstrong State University. In 12 seasons, he compiled 172 wins and made nine appearances in the DII NCAA postseason tournament.

Colby Hale is the 2004 Girls Head Coach. He is currently the women’s soccer head coach at the University of Arkansas. In just seven seasons, Hale amassed 84 wins and he has guided the Razorbacks to five DI NCAA postseason tournament appearances.

Robin Confer is the 2004 Girls Assistant Coach. Confer, who earned eight caps with the U.S. Women’s National Team, has coached at the collegiate level since 2003. She has served as an assistant coach at Florida State and the University of Georgia and most recently as the head coach at North Florida.

Henry Zapada will serve as the 2004 Girls Assistant Coach. He is currently the associate head women’s soccer coach at Lamar University. Previous coaching stops at the collegiate level include Elon University and the University of Georgia.

Nick Zimmerman is the 2005 Girls Head Coach. Zimmerman, who played for Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls and Philadelphia Union, is currently the women’s soccer assistant coach at Mississippi State. Prior to this, he served as an assistant coach at Columbus State University

Mike Varga will serve as the 2005 Girls Assistant Coach. He just completed his sixth season at the helm of the Gardner-Webb women’s soccer team. This past season, he guided the ‘Dogs to a Big South Conference runner-up finish in both the regular season standings and conference tournament.

Vic Campbell is the 2006 Girls Head Coach. He just completed his 24 seasons with the University of Florida women’s soccer program. The Gators have advanced to the DI NCAA postseason tournament in 21 seasons and they won their first NCAA national title in 1998. Campbell has coached notable U.S. Women’s National Team players – including Abby Wambach and Heather Mitts.

Sue Patberg will serve as the 2006 Girls Assistant Coach. She is currently the head women’s soccer coach at Emory University. Patberg has led the Eagles to the NCAA Tournament nine times in 14 seasons, including a runner-up finish in 2012. She also served as the U.S. U-16 National Team coach from 2003-05 and as an assistant coach on the U.S. U-21 National Team from 2000-03.

Samantha Bohon is the 2007 Girls Head Coach. She is women’s head coach at Embry-Riddle, a position she has held since 2007. Prior to the transition to NCAA DII competition, Bolton guided teams to eight consecutive NAIA postseason appearances. Bohon made two international appearances with the U.S. Women’s National Team.

Mike Melton is the 2007 Girls Assistant Coach. He is currently the women’s assistant coach at the United States Naval Academy and a U.S. Soccer scout. Previous experiences at the collegiate level include Mercer University, Xavier University, Samford University, and the University of Mississippi.

Allison Whitworth is the Girl’s Head Goalkeeper Coach. In March, she joined the Mississippi State women’s soccer program after serving as head women’s soccer coach at Spring Hill College. Whitworth played three seasons in the Women’s Professional Soccer League from 2009-11.

Tim Lucas is the Girl’s Assistant Goalkeeper Coach. He has been a member of the US Youth Soccer ODP South Region staff since 2014 and he holds his USSF National “A” License and USSF National Goalkeeper License.

Ronnie Woodard is the US Youth Soccer ODP South Region Co-Head Coach. Woodard coached at the collegiate level for 17 years and is a US Developmental National Team Pool Assistant Coach.

Steve Holeman is the US Youth Soccer ODP South Region Co-Head Coach. Holeman has been an NCAA DI women’s soccer head coach for more than 22 years. He is currently the women’s head coach at Lamar University after previous stints at Auburn University, University of Mississippi, and Georgia University.