Orlando Pride Name Carl Green Assistant Coach

Head Coach Marc Skinner continues to put the pieces into place as he prepares for the start of the 2019 season with the appointment as Carl Green as his assistant coach. The club announced Green’s hiring today.

“I am very excited to be joining Marc in this new opportunity,” Green said in a club press release. “I’m really looking to working with our very talented squad, the staff and everyone else at the club.”

Green, holder of a UEFA B coaching license, joins Orlando directly from Skinner’s former FA WSL side, Birmingham City, where he was the team’s sports scientist and strength and conditioning coach. Skinner has already noted that Green was an integral part of his staff at Birmingham — not only with his sports science background, but also with his personality and attitude. Already in the off-season we have heard the new head coach talk as much about a player’s character as their technical ability and it is clear that philosophy extends to his coaching staff as well.

The move has been given the green light (pun intended) by new Orlando Pride General Manager Erik Ustruck.

“Carl will be a great addition to our Pride coaching staff and we are very excited to welcome him to the club,” Ustruck said in the club release. “Not only does he boast a well-rounded expertise in both technical and fitness training, but his familiarity with Marc’s coaching style will be integral in making sure our team hits the ground running come March 4.”

Green is the third Englishman on the Pride coaching staff after Skinner and goalkeeping coach Lloyd Yaxley. He will fill the assistant spot formerly held by Khano Smith — now an assistant coach with USL Championship side Birmingham Legion FC — under former the Pride’s head coach, Tom Sermanni.

“Carl is an integral part of my team and I am thrilled that he is able to join me at the start of this exciting project,” said Skinner in the club’s press release. “Carl has a wonderful blend of applied functional sports science and coaching. His personality is infectious and I’m sure the players will love his attitude and love working with him. I am confident the coaching team we have in place with Carl and Lloyd Yaxley, our goalkeeper coach, will push the players every day to ensure we are continually improving.”

The Pride begin preseason training on Monday (March 4) with their first friendly against the North Carolina Courage on March 23. Their NWSL campaign will begin at home to Portland Thorns FC on April 14.