Former EPL player named HCFC head coach

HUNTSVILLE — Jack Collison, a former West Ham United midfielder, has been named the first head coach of Huntsville City FC. The MLS Next Pro club made the announcement this morning.

“Jack is the ideal fit for this team with his broad mix of playing experience at a high level and the management of youth soccer programs in the UK and the US,” said Ian Ayre, Nashville SC CEO and Huntsville City FC president. “We believe with the guidance and support of our coaching staff at NSC, Jack and his team have the ideal platform to create something very special at HCFC.

“In its purest form, this is Huntsville’s own team, with its own identity, culture and team on the field; a team that soccer fans in Huntsville can connect with.”

Collison joins Huntsville City FC after two seasons at the helm of Atlanta United FC 2. The former English Premier League midfielder began his coaching career in 2015 with Peterborough’s Academy. In 2017, he returned to his playing club, West Ham United, where he coached the U-14, U-16 and U-18 squads through 2019.

Collison has managed more than 130 matches in his young career from the U-18 level to the USL Championship. While managing the Atlanta United Academy, Collison led the group to a 12W-0D-5L record with a plus-34 goal differential from 2019-21.

“I am very excited at the prospect of bringing soccer to Rocket City and building a team that really represents the community,” said Collison. “I will look to build an exciting, fast-paced brand of soccer that can bring success on the pitch in Huntsville, whilst helping to develop some of the future stars for Nashville SC.

“My staff and I are currently hard at work to achieve these goals and can’t wait to see everyone packed inside the Joe Davis stadium supporting a team we can all be proud of.”

As a player, Collison made 121 appearances for West Ham United in the Premier League and Championship. The midfielder also played for Bournemouth in 2013, Wigan in 2014 and joined Peterborough United in 2015, where he would ultimately retire in 2016. Internationally, Collison earned 17 caps for the Wales’ Senior National Team.

“When we looked at a profile of what we thought the leader of Huntsville City FC looked like, very quickly it became evident that Jack was the ideal candidate,” said Mike Jacobs, general manager of Nashville SC and Huntsville City FC. “His ability to help develop future first team players for Nashville SC will be a critical asset in our pro player pathway.

“We are very excited about Jack’s addition, and know that he will play a key role in both growing players for NSC while also managing a very competitive team on the field in Huntsville.”

Joining Collison’s staff will be:

• Assistant Coach Omar Jarun – The former head coach for the Atlanta United Academy and interim assistant coach of Atlanta United 2, played collegiately at the University of Memphis. His career included 15 caps for the Palestinian National Team
• Goalkeeper Coach John Berner – A native of St. Louis, Berner joins the staff after a goalkeeping career that started as the 35th overall pick in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft by the Colorado Rapids. Berner made 60 appearances in his senior career, 39 with Charlotte Independence.
• Player Coach Nick Law – The 34-year old attacking midfielder grew up overseas in the Sheffield United Academy where he would go on to debut in the Premier League on Nov. 4, 2006. Law’s biggest leap while playing overseas came from 2013-16 as a member of Rangers FC in the Scottish Premiership where he scored 20 goals in 86 appearances. Law came to the U.S. in 2021 and appeared in 60 matches and the USL Championship in that span.
• The technical staff will be Matt Batista, analyst; Luis Rodas, athletic trainer; Chris Romano, performance coach; Caylor Feltman, administrator; and Sam Gibson, equipment manager.

Season ticket memberships are available at https://am.ticketmaster.com/huntsvillenextpro/buy.

For more information on Huntsville City FC, visit HuntsvilleCityFC.com, download and select the Huntsville City FC persona on the club’s app in Apple or Android, and follow on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.