

Mark Lowry

El Paso “My coaching philosophy is one that creates a demanding set of standards for the team and also for each individual player. It requires players to work extremely hard and strive to improve every day they are on the practice field. Players that have worked with me before throughout the league know that I like to teach and improve them as individuals, to give them more knowledge and equip them to perform better every game.”… “My playing philosophy is built around the ball. We will be a team that is obsessed with retaining the ball when we have it, and then regaining the ball as quickly as possible when we don’t have it. I like to be in control of the game and the best way to do it is through our use of the ball and our positioning and movements on the field.”



Tom Soehn

Birmingham Legion FC “I believe in a coaching philosophy that is centered on hard work, respect, teamwork, discipline and development. The attacking and defending principles are centered on making play predictable, pressing high and allowing the freedom to express our attacking qualities. I have had the fortune of playing with and coaching with some great soccer minds which helped me develop a philosophy I felt could be successful.”



Jimmy Nielsen

Hartford Athletic “In my playing career, I’ve been lucky to have had many great coaches, and I am still in contact with most of them. The one who stands out the most for me is Peter Vermes from Sporting Kansas City. From a leadership standpoint, my approach is that no two players are alike -- they are all very different and you need to spend time with each of them to get to know them. I like to practice the motto: 'They don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care.’ These are words to live by.”



Tim Mulqueen

Memphis 901 FC “Throughout my career I have always wanted to provide players a platform to play to their potential. If players can do that then you will be a successful team. I’ve been blessed to work with some incredible coaches in my career and I have learned so much from them all. Bob Reasso at Rutgers gave me my start to coaching and I learned how to build a program from him. Coach [Bob] Gansler taught me how to coach. Every day with Coach was akin to being at a coaching course. Finally, from Jason Kreis, I learned the importance of relationships. Relationships between players and coaches and how essential they are to you being successful.”



Troy Lesesne

New Mexico “Developing relationships and showing a genuine concern for a player’s development both on and off the field is the foundation of my coaching philosophy. In terms of style of play, we will have a proactive approach to the game where we will look to take the initiative both in possession and out of possession against our opponents. The combination of working under top managers like Mike Jeffries (Charlotte Independence), Michael Anhaeuser (Charleston Battery) and Ralph Lundy along with the players I’ve worked with over the last 14 years have helped shape my coaching philosophy.”