NASHVILLE, TN – Huntsville City FC have named their first-ever head coach, picking Jack Collison to lead the MLS NEXT Pro side.
Collison, 34, was a decorated midfielder, making over 150 appearances for West Ham United, Bournemouth, Wigan, Ipswich, and Peterborough, including 74 matches in the English Premier League. Collison was also capped 17 times by the Welsh national team.
As a manager, Collison made his start with the Peterborough and West Ham youth academies before moving to the United States, where he helmed Atlanta United’s academy. In June 2021, Collison took over Atlanta United 2 in the USL Championship, leading them to a record of 12 wins, 13 draws and 35 losses, as well as developing players for Atlanta’s first 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 Nashville SC General Manager Mike Jacobs in a press release. “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.”
Collison’s staff will include assistant coach Omar Jarun, goalkeeper coach John Berner, and Nick Law, who will serve as both a player and a coach.
Law is the second player announced for Huntsville’s debut roster. A 34-year-old attacking midfielder, the Englishman has had an extensive career, spending time with Rotherham United, Bradford City and Exeter City in England, Motherwell and Rangers in Scotland, and most recently with Indy Eleven and Tampa Bay Rowdies in the USL Championship.
“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.”
The MLS NEXT Pro season will kick off in the spring, with the schedule still to be announced. Nashville are expected to have several players from the first team play significant minutes with Huntsville City FC.
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