Rod Underwood

Last updated
Rod Underwood
Personal information
Place of birth New Orleans, United States
Position(s) midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Chattanooga FC
College career
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1985–1989 Furman Paladins
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1992–1996 New Mexico Chiles
1997–1998 Albuquerque Geckos 11 (1)
1999 South Carolina Shamrocks
Managerial career
1994 New Mexico Chiles (player-coach)
1997–1998 Albuquerque Geckos (player-coach)
1999 South Carolina Shamrocks (player-coach)
2007–2008 Portland Timbers (assistant coach)
2009 Cleveland City Stars
2010 North East Stars
2012 Mount Aureol
2017–2018 Montego Bay United F.C.
2021 Stumptown AC
2022– Chattanooga FC
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Rod Underwood (born in New Orleans, United States) is an American former soccer player and currently head coach and sporting director for Chattanooga FC in the MLS Next Pro.

Contents

Playing career

Underwood began playing soccer at the college level with Furman University in 1985. He became the first African American to play soccer at Furman University. [1] While at Furman he was the leading goal scorer, a three-time all-conference selection, and the conference tournament MVP as a senior. In his final year at Furman Underwood earned his Bachelor's Degree in 1989. As a player Underwood spent time with New Mexico Chiles, Albuquerque Geckos, and New Orleans Gamblers. [2]

Management career

Underwood first began his coaching career as player-coach at New Mexico Chiles in 1994. Once he moved to Albuquerque in 1997, he led the Geckos to the USISL D-3 Pro League Championship before coaching the club through its promotion to the A-League a season later. The following season Underwood was appointed the head coach for the South Carolina Shamrocks in 1999. Following his stint with South Carolina, he was appointed the assistant coach for Georgia State University. On April 19, 2007 Portland Timbers head coach Gavin Wilkinson appointed Underwood as his assistant coach. [3] During the 2007 USL season he helped the Timbers finish second place in the standings, and help the club reach the semifinals in the playoffs before losing to Atlanta Silverbacks. On February 5, 2009 the Cleveland City Stars announced the hiring of Underwood to serve as the new head coach for the 2009 USL season. [4] [5] He became the second head coach in club history, after succeeding Martin Rennie. In preparation for the 2009 season Underwood resolved to bring new players to the squad, notably players from Africa and MLS experienced players. [6] Underwood was named head coach for North East Stars in the TT Pro League on April 16, 2010. [7] In 2010, he joined the coaching team for the MLS side the Portland Timbers as an assistant coach for the U-16 academy team. [8]

In 2012, he went abroad to manage Mount Aureol in the Sierra Leone National First Division. [9] He later returned to the United States and joined the management staff of Sacramento Republic FC in the United Soccer League in the capacity of an assistant coach. [10] In 2017, he was named the head coach for Montego Bay United F.C. in the National Premier League. [11] [12] In 2019, he was appointed the director of club relations for iSoccerPath. [13]

On March 3, 2021, Underwood was announced as the new head coach of National Independent Soccer Association side Stumptown AC ahead of the team's return from hiatus. [14] On December 3, 2021, Underwood was named head coach of Chattanooga FC. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonard Griffin (soccer)</span> American soccer player and coach

Leonard Griffin is an American former soccer player, who currently serves as the head coach for the California men's soccer team.

Matthew Taylor is an American soccer coach and former player who is currently the head coach of Ventura County in MLS Next Pro.

Michael Alejandro Muñoz is an American soccer coach and former player. He currently works for Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy as the Director of Methodology and Development overseeing all LA Galaxy Academy decisions.

David Hayes is an American soccer player who most recently played for FC Tampa Bay in the North American Soccer League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darren Sawatzky</span> American soccer player and coach

Darren Sawatzky is an American soccer coach and former player who is currently the head coach of the Richmond Kickers in USL League One. He spent four seasons in Major League Soccer, one season in the Major Indoor Soccer League, one in USISL and five in the United Soccer Leagues. He currently holds several coaching positions at the high school, collegiate and professional levels and was the Director of Youth Development for Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer. In January 2015, he was named head coach of the Tacoma Stars of the Major Arena Soccer League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Valentino</span> American soccer player

Rob Valentino is a former American soccer player who is an assistant coach at Major League Soccer side Atlanta United FC.

Keith Savage is an American former professional soccer player who is the head coach of the Tampa Bay Rowdies USL Academy team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caleb Porter</span> American soccer coach (born 1975)

Caleb Porter is an American soccer coach who is the head coach of Major League Soccer club New England Revolution. He was previously head coach of the Portland Timbers from 2013 until 2017. He won MLS Cup in 2015 with Portland and 2020 with Columbus. In addition to MLS, he coached the United States U-23 team in 2011–12, and the University of Akron men's team from 2006 to 2012, winning the NCAA title in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portland Timbers</span> Soccer club in Portland, Oregon, United States

The Portland Timbers are an American professional men's soccer club based in Portland, Oregon. The Timbers compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The Timbers have played their home games at Providence Park since 2011, when the team began play as an expansion team in the league.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chattanooga FC</span> Soccer club

Chattanooga Football Club is an American professional soccer team based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 2009, the team will begin play in MLS Next Pro in 2024. Prior to joining MLS Next Pro, the club played in the National Independent Soccer Association and the Southeast Division of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), a national amateur league at the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alec Kann</span> American soccer player

Alec Kann is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Major League Soccer club FC Cincinnati.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portland Timbers 2</span> Soccer team

Portland Timbers 2 is an American professional soccer team based in Portland, Oregon. The team, often referred to as "T2", serves as the reserve squad for the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer (MLS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tacoma Defiance</span> American soccer team based in Tacoma, Washington

Tacoma Defiance, formerly Seattle Sounders FC 2, is an American professional soccer team based in Puget Sound region of Tukwila, Washington, U.S. that competes in the MLS Next Pro, the third tier of the United States soccer league system, as the reserve team of Seattle Sounders FC. Formerly, 20 percent of the club was fan-owned through the non-profit Sounders Community Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Smith (coach)</span> English-born U.S. soccer coach

Adam Smith is currently serving as the Sporting Director for USL League 1 team, Central Valley Fuego FC. Smith has held coaching positions at Portland Timbers in Major League Soccer, Fresno FC and Sacramento Republic. Prior to joining Fuego, Smith took the role of CEO and Director of Football at USL League 2 team Ventura County Fusion. Fusion had previously been on a two-year hiatus from the league due to Covid shutdowns, but returned to win the National Championship in 2022. During the 2021 season, Smith took an interim position as First Team Coach at Detroit City FC. This was to provide short-term help to the Head Coach and General manager, Trevor James. Detroit went onto win the NISA Legends tournament that same season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Orlando City B season</span> Season of American association football team

The 2019 Orlando City B season was the club's third year of existence and their first returning from hiatus during the 2018 season. It was their first season as a founding member of USL League One, the third tier of the United States soccer pyramid, after moving from the second tier now rebranded as USL Championship in the restructuring. The team also moved from Orlando City Stadium where they spent the 2017 season, to Montverde Academy which already housed Orlando City's Development Academy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Texas SC</span> Soccer club

North Texas Soccer Club is a professional soccer club playing in the MLS Next Pro, a third division league of American soccer. The team is owned by, and operates as the reserve team of the Major League Soccer club FC Dallas. While the senior club is based, and plays, in Frisco, Texas, North Texas SC as of 2020 is based in Arlington, Texas, 38 miles / 70km south of Toyota Stadium Frisco, at Choctaw Stadium. The team was announced as a founder member of League One on November 2, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stumptown AC</span> American professional soccer team that plays in the National Independent Soccer Association

Stumptown AC, formerly Stumptown Athletic, was an American professional soccer team that played in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA). The club was based in Matthews, North Carolina, a suburb of Charlotte.

The 2019–20 Stumptown Athletic season was the club's inaugural season in the National Independent Soccer Association, a newly established third division soccer league in the United States.

The 2020–21 Stumptown AC season was the club's second in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA), second overall, and first under this name and management.

Diego Gutierrez is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for USL Championship club Charleston Battery.

References

  1. ↑ Rod Underwood: What Drives City's New Man
  2. ↑ "Rod Underwood | SoccerStats.us". soccerstats.us. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
  3. ↑ Timbers round out coaching staff Archived 2008-01-19 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ Cleveland names Underwood coach Archived 2009-02-09 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ "Rod Underwood - Head Coach". Archived from the original on February 11, 2009.
  6. ↑ USL-1 Season Preview - Part III Archived 2009-04-21 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ ttproleague.com. "Underwood, Stars part ways". Soca Warriors Online - Trinidad and Tobago Football. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
  8. ↑ "Timbers announce Academy coaching staff". timbers.com. May 21, 2012.
  9. ↑ Jnr, Sahr Morris (2012-01-19). "Sierra Leone: Slifa Gets Foreign Coach". Concord Times (Freetown). Retrieved 2018-08-14.
  10. ↑ Gates, Conwell, Ryan, William. "Former Timbers Coaches Join Sacramento". Stumptown Footy. Retrieved 2018-08-14.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ Reid, Paul. "American Underwood to take reins of MBU". Jamaica Observer. Jamaica Observer. Retrieved 2018-08-14.
  12. ↑ "Rod Underwood - Coaching Director – iSoccerPath". isoccerpath.com. Retrieved 2018-08-14.
  13. ↑ Harvey, Shannon (2019-04-16). "iSoccerPath Hires Director of Club Relations, Rod Underwood". iSoccerPath. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
  14. ↑ "Pro Soccer Returns to Stumptown for NISA Spring Season". www.nisaofficial.com. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  15. ↑ "Rod Underwood Named Sporting Director & Men's Head Coach for Chattanooga Football Club". ChattanoogaFC.com. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.