Dalton Red Wolves SC coach hopes to use local talent

Published 12:02 am Friday, February 1, 2019

The Dalton Red Wolves SC named Drew Courtney its first-ever head coach on Monday and in doing so chose a coach who can tell players he’s been in their position.

A native of Chattanooga, Courtney wasn’t sure where he would land after playing his college soccer at Division II Lander University in Greenwood, South Carolina, from 2004 to 2008. An opportunity presented by his college coach gave him the answer.

“We talked about continuing my playing career, and I went to an open (United Soccer League) tryout in Charlotte (North Carolina),” Courtney said. “I did well, and the next thing I knew I was in Southern California.”

Courtney moved across the country in 2008 to play for the Southern California Seahorses (La Mirada) of the Premier Development League and later for the Mississippi Brilla, another PDL team in Clinton. The PDL eventually became the USL League Two, the same league the Dalton Red Wolves SC are now joining. Courtney ended up coaching the Mississippi Brilla from 2012 to 2014. Prior to that, Courtney served as an assistant at both Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi, and Covenant College in Lookout Mountain.

For the past five years, Courtney has been the head coach of the Bryan College (Dayton, Tennessee) men’s soccer team. In 2015, Bryan won the Appalachian Athletic Conference championship while Courtney earned AAC Coach of the Year honors.

Courtney said his coaching experience has improved his ability to recruit and develop players. During his coaching stops, Courtney has mentored at least 15 players who have gone on to sign professional contracts.

The Dalton USL League Two team is a direct affiliate of the Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, which is also in its first year and will be competing one level up in USL League One. In terms of the professional level, as established by the United States Soccer Federation, the USL League One is a third-tier league behind the USL Championship and Major League Soccer. The USL League Two is a developmental league under the United Soccer League umbrella.

Chattanooga Red Wolves SC General Manager Sean McDaniel said Courtney brings a great deal to the team.

“Beyond being just a good coach and mentor, what Drew brings to the Red Wolves organization is the soccer infrastructure knowledge,” McDaniel said. “With his time as a collegiate coach and his time in League Two, he has such a great Rolodex of players and coaching contacts. We couldn’t think of a better person to hand the reins over to.”

USL League Two likes to emphasize its “path2pro” philosophy. The team and league exist specifically to offer professional opportunities to players who may have gone unnoticed by larger clubs. Elite world players such as Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan, Werder Bremen (Germany) forward Josh Sargent and Newcastle United (England) defender DeAndre Yedlin all competed in USL League Two before making their professional debuts.

As with the other teams in USL League Two, the Dalton Red Wolves SC will be an under-23 team that will be primarily comprised of college players. Offering local talent a higher level of competition is another goal of the team.

“We want to be very involved in the community,” Courtney said. “We want to provide an opportunity to local guys and we want to be successful at the same time. If you’re committed to that, we want you involved.”

The team will hold open tryouts on Saturday, Feb. 16, at 1 p.m. at Dalton’s Broaddus-Durkan Complex at 310 Smith Industrial Boulevard. Those wishing to try out are asked to register at chattredwolves.com/dalton-tryouts. The registration fee is $50.

Courtney said much of his time right now is spent recruiting. By connecting with local high school and club coaches, Courtney hopes to ingratiate himself with the Dalton soccer community. He said he and the club are still working to finalize a location in Dalton to play home games as well as finalizing the coaching staff. The Dalton Red Wolves SC schedule should be released within the next few weeks, according to Courtney, and player signings will be revealed as they occur during the next few months. The USL League Two season begins in early May and ends in late July.

For Courtney, the opportunity to coach at a high level once again was intriguing. Developing talent and giving local players a chance to take the next step, the same step he took himself, was something he said he couldn’t pass up.

“I played with guys from Dalton growing up so I know what kind of talent is here,” Courtney said. “I’m very excited about the opportunity and look forward to getting started.”