Category: Coach

Steve Wieczorek Smiling on the Sidelines

Steve Wieczorek Steps Down As Head Coach Of AFC Mobile

AFC Mobile and head coach Steve Wieczorek have mutually agreed to part ways in light of Coach Wieczorek’s upcoming move to Albany, New York to take the reigns as head coach of the men’s soccer team at The College of Saint Rose.

“It’s been a great run over the last couple of years at AFC Mobile, but it is important for me to step down and focus on the coaching opportunity that’s ahead of me,” Wieczorek said. “And I also think it’s important for the club and for the players to have a new voice that will help us achieve the goal of reaching the conference playoffs, which I think is well within our grasp.” 

Wieczorek has been the head coach of AFC Mobile since the 2019 season. In his first season with the club, Wieczorek led AFC Mobile to postseason play for the first time in the club’s history and the highest points total in the Gulf Coast Premier League Eastern Conference. He oversaw the club’s move to the National Premier Soccer League in the 2021 season and was integral to establishing the thriving AFC Mobile Academy. 

“On behalf of the entire AFC Mobile community, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Coach Wieczorek for his years of dedication and service managing our club,” President Abram Chamberlain said. “Saint Rose is getting a brilliant soccer mind who has had a successful career as a college coach.”

Former AFC Mobile goalkeeper and current assistant coach Brent Grube will take over as caretaker manager. In his final match, Wieczorek piloted AFC Mobile to its first win of the season, a 2-0 victory over Pensacola FC in Foley on Wednesday night. 

“I want to thank the fans for their unwavering support of me and the team,” Wieczorek said. “And thanks to the players for their hard work in training, their dedication to the club, and some awesome performances this season. I’ll never forget them, and I wish the club the utmost of luck and success in the future.” 

AFC Mobile (1-0-3, 3pts, -3 GD) will host the New Orleans Jesters (3-0-2, 9pts, -1 GD) this Saturday night at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex at 7 p.m. This match is the club’s annual First Responders Night. All firefighters, police officers, and EMTs will be admitted for free.

Richard Moodie Named Director of Coaching for the AFC Mobile Academy

Mobile, Alabama – January 15, 2021 – University of South Alabama women’s soccer coach Richard Moodie will take over as Director of Coaching for the AFC Mobile Academy. 

“I am excited to announce the hiring of Richard Moodie as the club’s new Director of Coaching,” said Steve Wieczorek, AFC Mobile Academy technical director and first-team head coach. “It was clear to me in our work together last fall that he was the right person to lead our coaching staff and to instill our club philosophy and game model throughout the Academy.” 

Richard Moodie has been the head coach of the South Alabama women’s soccer team since December 2016. In his three seasons with the program, Moodie has led the Jaguars to two Sun Belt Conference regular-season titles and two Sun Belt Conference tournament titles. Three players from Moodie’s stint at South Alabama have played first division soccer in Europe: two in the Cypriot First Division, and one for Tottenham Hotspur of England’s FA Women’s Super League. 

“I am extremely grateful to Steve and the board for presenting this opportunity to me. Soccer in our community is growing at a rapid pace. Our goal is to provide another platform for our youth to grow both as people and soccer players.” 

With the appointment, AFC Mobile Academy’s boys director Ruben Risco will continue to serve in an advisory role, and will maintain his role as a first-team assistant and club ambassador. 

“Ruben is a valued and loyal member of our coaching team. He stepped in for us as we were getting our Academy off the ground, and provided an invaluable service to us. We’re glad to keep him on board, while finding a long-term solution for the Director of Coaching position club-wide.” Wieczorek said. 

Moodie is no stranger to the AFC Mobile Academy. He has been a member of the Academy project from day one, and last fall, he coached the club’s 2006 girls team. 

“With this being our first year as a club, it has been enjoyable to watch the growth in such a short period of time. Our goal is to create a player-centered program and maximize the potential of everyone in the club. I hope to work with our coaching staff to help achieve these goals.”

As Director of Coaching, Moodie will be assisting Wieczorek as the two college coaches working to implement a club-wide vision of tactical, technical, and values-based instruction – on and off the field.

“Coach Moodie and I plan to be very hands-on, working every day to continue to improve our club standards as we strive to create an elite playing experience, centered on individual player development and goal attainment through soccer,” Wieczorek said. 

Brent Grube Joins AFC Mobile as Goalkeeping Coach

MOBILE, ALABAMA – Former AFC Mobile goalkeeper and current Mary G. Montgomery High School girls soccer coach Brent Grube will join the Club coaching staff as an assistant for the 2018 season, the club announced Sunday afternoon.

“Brent was a good player for us last year. I’m excited to have him moving to the coaching side of the organization,” said head coach Nate Nicholas. “He will be a great help to me and [assistant coach] Ruben Risco in helping prepare for games and practices on the goalkeeper side.”

Last season, Grube was part of AFC Mobile’s inaugural roster and started four games at goalkeeper, before suffering an injury in the offseason. He will now transition to goalkeeper coach on Nicholas’s staff this season.

“When I tore my ACL, I thought that my time with AFC Mobile was over,” said Grube. “Having played [goalkeeper] my entire career, I’m happy that I will be able to pass on my experience to AFC Mobile players. I am very excited to join the coaching staff and I look forward to the season.”

Grube joins the staff in time for AFC Mobile’s open tryouts on December 9 from 2:00-6:00 PM at Herndon (Sage) Park.

“In Brent, the club is able to get not just a good coach, but a good person. He displayed leadership in training and on the pitch last season,” stated AFC Mobile President Abram Chamberlain. “Being able to retain him as part of the AFC Mobile family is huge. We are extremely happy to have him continue with us as we move into our new season and our next chapter.”

Early registration is available online for $15.00 until December 8th and will be $25.00 for walk-up registration on December 9th.

AFC Mobile Hosts Open Tryouts

AFC Mobile hosted its first ever open tryout this Saturday at Herndon (Sage) Park in Mobile. More than two dozen players from the Mobile area laced up their boots to showcase their skills for coach Nate Nicholas.

“I thought for today for our first time, for our first tryout as a club, it was nice to have a lot of faces out here who were excited about being on a team from Mobile.” Nicholas said. “Overall, I believe this was a good first step,” AFC Mobile board member Dan McMillan said. “It was a warmer day than anticipated, and I’m sure our coach was glad to have mother nature assist him with fitness evaluation. I’m grateful to each and every one of those who attended. They definitely gave it their all on the field today.”

Club president Abram Chamberlain noted, “This project has been a lot of hard work, and now to have a coach running an open tryout to put a team on the pitch is thrilling. Just think, this was nothing but an idea two years ago, and now it is all coming to fruition… it almost feels unbelievable.”

A preliminary roster will be released later this week before determining a final roster for the start of the 2017 Gulf Coast Premier League summer season.

“I think we’re gonna need a few practices before we get there, but I’m excited for that first game” Nicholas said. “To see the fans at the Lip, our new home field, in our Haint Blue sponsored uniforms and just really giving them a show to look at and really prove that Mobile is gonna be here for a while.”

AFC Mobile will kick off its inaugural season next month with a home game against Pensacola’s Gulf Coast Texans on Sunday, May 14th at 7:00 p.m. at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex (“The Lip”) located at 3610 Michael Boulevard. Ticket information will be announced in the coming weeks.

ABOUT AFC Mobile

AFC Mobile was formed in 2015 to strengthen the soccer community in Mobile by bringing a high level soccer team to the largest municipality along the Gulf Coast between St. Petersburg and New Orleans. AFC Mobile aims to provide local players an opportunity to continue to play the game at a competitive level, as well as to give the soccer community and City of Mobile a team to call their own.

Nate Nicholas - Head Coach

AFC Mobile announces Head Coach for Inaugural Season

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATE NICHOLAS NAMED FIRST AFC MOBILE HEAD COACH

AFC Mobile is proud to announce Nate Nicholas as the first head coach of AFC Mobile. Nicholas is a longtime member of the Mobile soccer community and is currently the head coach of the McGill-Toolen boys soccer team.

“I am extremely excited about being the first head coach of AFC Mobile. There are many qualified coaches in this area and to be the first one to get this thing kicked off is honoring and humbling. I just want to do the team, the board, and more importantly the supporters justice in leading them in this first season.” Nicholas said.

Nicholas played soccer at the University of Mobile from 1998-2003 and won an NAIA national championship with the Rams. Nicholas has coached at the Alabama School of Math and Science, Baldwin County High School and UMS-Wright before making the jump to McGill-Toolen. He won back to back state championships with UMS-Wright in 2010 and 2011. He was named the Press-Register Coach of the Year in 2007 and 2011 and the Sports Academy Coach of the Year in 2010. Last year, his McGill-Toolen team finished with a record of 20-6-3 after falling to Oak Mountain 2-1 in the 7A state championship game. The Jackets are currently ranked fifth in the state with a record of 6-2-2.

“Having a manager the caliber of Nate Nicholas was vitally important for AFC Mobile in our inaugural season. Actually getting Nate on board is even better. Nate is a name that holds weight in not just Mobile soccer, but in Alabama soccer as well.” AFC Mobile president Abram Chamberlain said. “He has continuously proven himself to be an incredible manager at both UMS and McGill-Toolen and having played in the PDL and for the University of Mobile means he knows what it will take to not just compete, but to win at this level. Coach Nicholas has proven that he has a style of play and the tactical knowhow to implement that system of play. We are ecstatic to have him leading us on our first ever GCPL campaign.”

After coaching in the area for the past 15 years, Nicholas knows that Mobile is full of soccer talent and wants to help those players reach their full potential.

“My goal for AFC Mobile is to provide a team for the people of Mobile to get behind and be able to support.” Nicholas said, “I want it to be a place for players who want to reach the highest levels to have a place to play. I want to find players who grew up in Mobile and want to play for Mobile and I also want to find players who are new to Mobile but want to have an outlet for their talents.”

Like us on Facebook follow us on Twitter and @AFC_Mobile and on Instagram @afcmboile for updates on our upcoming tryouts and information for the 2017 Gulf Coast Premier League season.

 

ABOUT AFC Mobile
AFC Mobile was formed in 2015 to strengthen the soccer community in Mobile by bringing a high level soccer team to the largest municipality along the Gulf Coast between St. Petersburg and New Orleans. AFC Mobile aims to provide local players an opportunity to continue to play the game at a competitive level, as well as to give the soccer community and City of Mobile a team to call their own.

CONTACT:

Mitchell Kahalley

mkahalley@afcmobile.net

(251) 272-9507
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