Huw Williams

Last updated

Huw Williams
Personal information
Full name Huw John Williams [1]
Date of birth (1960-11-20) 20 November 1960 (age 64) [2] [3]
Place of birth Porthmadog, Wales
Team information
Current team
Kansas City Current (technical staff)
Managerial career
YearsTeam
2013–2016 FC Kansas City (assistant/tech. director)
2021 Kansas City Current

Huw John Williams (born 20 November 1960) is a Welsh football coach and former player who was previously the head coach of Kansas City NWSL in the American National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) for their inaugural season. [4]

Contents

Early life

Born in Porthmadog, Gwynedd, Williams attended Cardiff University where he played football for the British Colleges and the All British Students teams. While at Cardiff, he was selected to play in the World Student Games in Tokyo. At age 14, he joined professional club Blackburn Rovers F.C. where he played for five years. [5]

Coaching career

Early coaching in the US

Williams is a former director of coaching for Kansas Youth Soccer and a member of the Regional II coaching staff of the United States Youth Soccer Association. He was the men's coach at Avila University in Kansas City, Missouri, from 1989 to 1992.

Williams was a founder, assistant coach and general manager of the now-defunct FC Kansas City of the National Women's Soccer League. [6] He was also the sports manager for GSI Sports, a US youth football tournament and league management company. [7]

Kansas City (2021)

On 29 January 2021, Williams was announced as the head coach of the new expansion team Kansas City NWSL. [8] [9] After one season as head coach he moved to a technical-staff scouting and talent identification role. The club went 3-14-7 in his lone year at the helm finishing last in the NWSL with 16 points. [10] Williams transitioned to a front office role with the newly-named Kansas City Current but was relieved of his duties by November 2022 following accusations of disrespectful and inappropriate conduct towards the team's roster. [11]

Personal life

His daughter, Nia Williams, played soccer professionally for FC Kansas City in the NWSL. [12] [13]

Notes

    Related Research Articles

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Sporting Kansas City II</span> Soccer club

    Sporting Kansas City II is a MLS Next Pro club affiliated with Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer. For the 2022 season they will play their home games at Rock Chalk Park at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, as well as Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, Missouri. They were formerly known as the Swope Park Rangers. The club is headquartered alongside Sporting Kansas City at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.

    Lucas Rodríguez is an Argentine former professional footballer who is currently an assistant coach with the Kansas City Current in the National Women's Soccer League.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Harvey</span> English football manager (born 1980)

    Laura Kate Harvey is an English football manager and former player who currently manages Seattle Reign FC of the American National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She holds USSF "A" and UEFA "A" coaching licenses.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">FC Kansas City</span> Soccer team

    FC Kansas City was an American professional women's soccer club based in Kansas City, Missouri. The team was one of the eight founding clubs of the National Women's Soccer League in 2012, and began play in 2013. They were two-time NWSL champions, having won titles in 2014 and 2015. After the 2017 season, the NWSL re-acquired owner Elam Baer's membership interest and subsequently ceased the team's operations.

    The 2013 season was FC Kansas City's first season of existence, in which they competed in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the top division of women's soccer in the United States.

    Nia Jensen is an American retired soccer defender who most recently played for FC Kansas City in the National Women's Soccer League.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Vlatko Andonovski</span> Macedonian-American soccer manager and former player

    Vlatko Andonovski is a Macedonian-American association football manager and former player who is the head coach and sporting director of the Kansas City Current of the National Women's Soccer League. He was the head coach of the United States women's national team from 2019 to 2023.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Utah Royals</span> American womens professional soccer team

    The Utah Royals are an American professional soccer team based in Salt Lake City, Utah, that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Established on November 16, 2017, as an expansion team, the Royals played their first stint in the NWSL from 2018 until ceasing operations in 2020, with their player-related assets transferred to the expansion Kansas City Current. In 2023, Real Salt Lake owners Ryan Smith and David Blitzer reestablished the team.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Freya Coombe</span> English footballer and coach

    Freya Coombe is an English football manager and former player who is an assistant coach for the Kansas City Current of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She formerly managed NJ/NY Gotham FC and Angel City FC of the NWSL.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Racing Louisville FC</span> National Womens Soccer League team in Louisville, Kentucky

    Racing Louisville Football Club is an American professional soccer team based in Louisville, Kentucky, that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). It began playing in 2021 at Lynn Family Stadium. The team is owned by Soccer Holdings LLC. The expansion team was announced on October 22, 2019.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Kansas City Current</span> American professional womens soccer team based in Kansas City, Missouri

    The Kansas City Current are an American professional soccer team based in Kansas City, Missouri, that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). It was founded as an expansion team in 2021. The team plays its home games at CPKC Stadium.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">San Diego Wave FC</span> National Womens Soccer League team in San Diego, California

    San Diego Wave Fútbol Club is an American professional soccer team based in San Diego, California, that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). The team plays its home games at Snapdragon Stadium. The Wave began play in the 2022 season as an expansion team.

    Sam James Laity is an English football manager who was most recently the head coach of Houston Dash in the American National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). He was previously an assistant coach for fellow American team OL Reign, where he also served as interim coach for a period in 2021.

    The 2022 National Women's Soccer League season was the tenth season of the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States. Including the NWSL's two professional predecessors, Women's Professional Soccer (2009–2011) and the Women's United Soccer Association (2001–2003), it was the 16th overall season of FIFA and USSF-sanctioned top division women's soccer in the United States. Twelve teams competed in the league, including two expansion teams, San Diego Wave FC and Angel City FC.

    Matthew James Potter is an English former footballer and current technical director and interim sporting director of Bay FC in the National Women's Soccer League.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Elyse Bennett</span> American soccer player (born 1999)

    Elyse Morgan Bennett is an American professional soccer player who most recently played as a forward for San Diego Wave FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Bennett has also previously played for the OL Reign and the Kansas City Current.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Kansas City NWSL season</span> Kansas City NWSLs first season

    The 2021 Kansas City NWSL season was the team's first season as a professional women's soccer team. Kansas City NWSL plays in the National Women's Soccer League, the top tier of women's soccer in the United States. The team rebranded at halftime of its final match to the Kansas City Current.

    The 2022 Kansas City Current season was the team's second season as a professional women's soccer team. The Current plays in the National Women's Soccer League, the top tier of women's soccer in the United States. The team was previously known as Kansas City NWSL.

    The 2023 Kansas City Current season was the team's third season as a professional soccer team. The Current played in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the top tier of women's soccer in the United States.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Jenna Winebrenner</span> American soccer player (born 1999)

    Jenna Rae Winebrenner is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Dallas Trinity FC of the USL Super League.

    References

    1. "Thanks Huw!". Porthmadog F.C. 19 December 2018. Archived from the original on 16 November 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
    2. KC Athletics Soccer Club [@AthleticsKC] (20 November 2018). "Happy birthday to KCAthletics Executive Director, Huw Williams" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 8 January 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2022 via Twitter.
    3. Goodwin, Shaun (30 May 2021). "Williams on life in Kansas City: 'You become part of the family over here'". The Kansas City Star . Vol. 141, no. 255. Kansas City, Missouri. p. 1B. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
    4. "This team won two straight championships in Kansas City. Expectations haven't changed". The Kansas City Star . 18 December 2020.
    5. "FC Kansas City coaching staff announced". FC Kansas City. 5 December 2012.
    6. "Front Office". FC Kansas City.
    7. "GSI Sports". www.gsisports.com.
    8. Bell, Thad (11 January 2021). "KC NWSL announces staff for inaugural season". The Blue Testament.
    9. "Former GM Becomes Kansas City NWSL Head Coach - KC NWSL". www.kcwoso.com. 29 January 2021.
    10. "Kansas City searching for new head coach; Huw Williams shifts to technical role". The Equalizer.
    11. Palmer, Tod (14 December 2022). "NWSL report: Players allege Current ignored mistreatment by former coach Huw Williams". kshb.com. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
    12. "Nia Williams Player Profile". Missouri State University. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
    13. "Soccer's in her blood". The Leaven. Archived from the original on June 16, 2013. Retrieved May 8, 2013.