2024 Coaching Staff
USL 2 Head Coach | Garreth Barker [email protected] | 657-269-7710
Garreth returns for a second season as head coach with a new backroom staff for the 2024 campaign. Garreth is also the SSA MLS U19s & U17s Head Coach and recently led his U19s to the National finals in Dallas ranking 7th in the tournament. Garreth has worked in professional football in England as an academy director and coach at clubs in League two, League one and the Championship, including Blackpool FC, Morecambe FC, Preston North End and laterally Rotherham Utd FC as Academy manager and U18s coach. Garreth holds both the FA Academy Manager License & senior Youth Coaching awards and a UEFA Pro coaching license.
USL 2 Assistant Coach & Head of USL2 Recruitment | Josh Bronstorph | 404-966-7179
Josh Bronstorph is the Asst Coach at Oglethorpe and will be joining the SSA USL2 staff this summer. A 2020 Oglethorpe alumnus, Bronstorph was a standout in his two years at Oglethorpe and a part of some of the best teams in Oglethorpe history. In 2018, he helped the team capture the Southern Athletic Association title and an NCAA appearance. In his senior year, he led the offense ranked No. 2 in the nation with an average goal production of 3.58 goals per game while boasting one of the most vigorous schedules in the country. Bronstorph also was named PDA all conference in 2018. Bronstorph completed his master's degree in kinesiology and exercise science from Georgia Southern where he spent two years as assistant coach. At Georgia Southern, Bronstorph helped identify prospects for the NCAA Division I program.
USL 2 Head of Goalkeeping and First Team Coach | Wez Barnard | [email protected] | 404-771-0179
Wezly is originally from South Africa where he grew up and played most of his soccer career. He attended Young Harris College from 2009-2013. Wezly is currently the Director of Coaching for the SSA Northside region. Before SSA, he most recently served as the Director of Goalkeeping at North Carolina FC Youth. He also worked with the North Carolina Courage USL W League and USL 2 Men’s teams as an assistant/goalkeeper coach. Before joining NCFC, Wezly worked as the Women’s Assistant & Goalkeeper Coach at Berry College. Wezly has also served as the Women’s Assistant Varsity & Goalkeeper Coach at Pace Academy while also working as the goalkeeper coach with the Atlanta United Regional Development Program. Prior to Atlanta United, Wezly served as the Goalkeeping Director and team coach at Brookhaven FC while additionally working as a goalkeeper coach with the girls ODP program. Wezly currently holds a National B License & Goalkeeper Diploma 3.
USL 2 First Team Asst Coach and Match Analyst | Idrees Ihsanullah |
This summer will be Idrees Ihsanullah’s first season as an assistant coach for the SSA Kings. At 17, Idrees was hired by the South Carolina United Heat as a Head Assistant Coach/Analyst providing opposition, set piece, and team performance analysis in a season that saw the Heat Win the Mid-Atlantic conference with an 11-1 record and retain the highest goal differential in the nation. The performance saw his side become placed as the top team in the national UPSL rankings for the Spring season while also notably beating a professional NISA side, Savannah Clovers. Idrees has most recently completed another first place season with the Heat sighting an unbeaten 8-0-2 record for the Fall season and qualifying for the Lamar Hunt Open Cup. Idrees has also had USL2 experience working for the SC United Bantams as an assistant coach in a 10-1-1 season that saw a second-place finish on goal differential and a trip to the playoffs. Idrees is currently a USSF D Licensed Coach.
Jordan returns as Head Coach for a second season looking to build on last year's success looking to build on the success of the GA program and oversee the end point of the program with the highest level team in the SSA Organization. Davis returned to Clayton State in August of 2021 after spending two seasons at Columbus State. From 2009-14, Davis worked under Petersen and was on staff for the best season in program history when the 2010 squad reached the NCAA Elite Eight. Outside of Clayton State, Davis serves as a youth club director for Southern Soccer Academy in Atlanta, working as the club's college recruiting coordinator since 2008. While at Southern Soccer Academy, Davis helped teams to State Cup titles, participated in regional and national events, and traveled abroad for coaching trips in England and Italy. Additionally, Davis has worked on the US Soccer Olympic Development Program Region Staff, Georgia ODP, and has previous collegiate experience at Columbus State University (women's soccer) and the University of West Georgia (women's soccer). In 2016, Davis was hired as the first head coach for Peachtree City MOBA in the Premier Development League and also has USL experience coaching with the Atlanta Metros U20 men's and women's teams. He played four seasons of collegiate soccer, splitting time at Georgia State University (2002-05) and Charleston Southern University (2001). He graduated from GSU in 2005 with a bachelor of science in psychology and is currently working on his master's of coaching education and kinesiology degree. As a professional, Davis played in the NASL with the Atlanta Silverbacks along with playing in the PDL in Atlanta, Columbus, Ohio, Richmond, Va. and the NPSL with the Georgia Revolution. In 2011, Davis was the only player to compete in all 28 league games of the NASL season with the Silverbacks. He is also an avid runner, qualifying for the Boston Marathon. Davis currently holds an NSCAA Premier Diploma
Played at LaGrange College and College of Charleston, Hagan a USSF National C License and is the current SSA Boys Academy Director of North and Northwest. Hagan has been a SSA Director since 2013 following from being a former SSA Kings USL 2 Assistant Coach and returns to his role in the program for another campaign.
USL-W Asst Coach | Carlie Banks |
Carlie Banks is currently going into her 2nd year with the SSA Royals, and first year as player & coach. Prior to SSA, Carlie played 1 season with MOBA in the USL-W League and 6 seasons combined between the Chattanooga Lady Red Wolves and Chattanooga FC. Carlie also played NCAA Division 1 soccer at Louisiana State University. After graduating from LSU, she went on to play professionally for the Houston Aces in Texas and then for IK Myran in Finland. She also had the opportunity to train professionally at an Academy in Portugal. In the winter months, she spends her time playing in the NISL, the 1st ever Women's Indoor Professional Soccer league. In her first year, she received the 1st ever Golden Boot Award for scoring the most goals in the league. In her second season, Carlie was named Head Coach of the Columbus Rapids, making her the 1st ever Women's Head Coach and player in the league. This winter will mark Carlie's 3rd season in the NISL. Most recently, Carlie had the privilege of attending a US Women’s National Futsal Team ID Camp in Pennsylvania, PA.
USL-W Asst Coach | Ben Chedgy bchedgy@ssaelite.com | 7065259612
Ben returns to the set up at SSA for another campaign as the Asst Head coach to Jordan Davis and we look forward to seeing the reunited staff have great summer. Ben Chedgy is currently in his fifth year on the sidelines, serving as UWG's assistant women's soccer coach. Chedgy does extensive work training the goalkeepers as well as assisting with day-to-day activities of the West Georgia soccer program. Chedgy comes to UWG with extensive coaching and playing experience, most recently as the Girls Director of Coaching at the Lanier Soccer Association in Gainesville, Ga. During his time with LSA, he was responsible for the development of over 150 players aging from 9-19 years of age, as well as the performance and development of coaching staff.
As a part of his duties at LSA, Chedgy also started a college recruitment program that helped players transition into college soccer. In the space of 4 years, Chedgy was able to facilitate in placing more than 20 players into a variety of NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA programs. His resume also includes time working with the southeast region US National Training Centers, assisting sessions and assessing players to be fast tracked to US women's national team. Prior to LSA, Chedgy spent 3 years as the Men's Assistant Coach at the University of North Georgia, where he coached five All-Peach Belt Conference players and one All-Southeast Region performer. He currently holds a USSF "D" license and an FA Level 1.
U20-W Head Coach | Richard Foy | [email protected] | 678-577-8544
Richard Foy returns as Women's USL-Academy U20 Head Coach for the 2024 season following a successful 2023 season. Prior to his role as Head Coach, ‘Rico’ was the Asst Coach of our USL W League side for 3 years previous and comes with a wealth of experience. A native of Bellshill, Scotland, he has extensive coaching experience both in his home country and in the US, having coached within Motherwell FC’s Academy and the Scottish Football Association. He moved to the US and joined SSA in 2016 and is currently Director of our SSA Cartersville location as well as the club’s Senior Rec and Pre-Academy Director overseeing the clubs 9000 strong rec program. Richard has an BA Honours Degree in Sport Development from University of the West of Scotland and a Master of Science in Sports Management from Georgia State University. He is pursuing the USSF B License this Summer.
U20-W Assistant Coach | Sam Helliwell | [email protected] | 470-295-8779
Sam Helliwell joins our Women’s USL-Academy staff for the second season in a row and has also been the Assistant Coach for the Women’s USL in 2022. Sam is from Rotherham, England, and has coaching experience at youth level in the US as Boys Academy Director at UFA Norcross and is now our Girls Academy Director at SSA Marietta. He has a Bachelors Degree in Sports Coaching & Development from Leeds Metropolitan University (Leeds, England) and played Semi Professional soccer whilst studying at University, he currently holds a USSF C coaching license