December 30, 2015 12:00am
Primary Contact | Jeremy Schultz, [email protected], 559.320.2543
FRESNO FUEGO FUTBOL CLUB APPOINT SEAN LANIGAN AS HEAD COACH
Virginia native to arrive in the Central Valley and begin his work as the Fuego technical leader
FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno Fuego F.C., four-time Southwest Division Champions in the Premier Development League (PDL), announced today that it has appointed Sean Lanigan as the first full-time Head Coach and Assistant General Manager for the club. His primary job responsibility will be to elevate the Fuego to the top tier of the Premier Development League (PDL) but he will also be performing a wide range of head office duties for General Manager Jeremy Schultz, such as managing client relations and new business development.
Lanigan, 49, who holds an UEFA A License from the Irish Football Association, USSF National A, and NSCAA Advanced National Diploma, is a lifelong resident of Northern Virginia. He has over three decades of playing and coaching experience including being a goalkeeper for George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Lanigan’ s resume includes time served extensively in the youth development scene and is highlighted as a Head Coach within DC United’s Youth Academy and Reserve squads, where his U-18 team was a National Finalist. He has worked as a highly successful men’s and women’s high school soccer coach in Herndon and Westfield, Virginia, earning ESPN National Rankings with his teams in 7 different seasons and carries a 118-25-10 career record over 9 years. He also serves as the Virginia State Staff Coach for Goalkeeping for the U.S. Youth Soccer Association’s Olympic Development Program. Over 200 male and female student-athletes from his club and high school programs have gone on to play soccer in NCAA Division 1 programs
“Coach Lanigan will be Fuego’s first full-time coach and we are proud to have him join our team in this important milestone in our club’s history,” said Chris Cummings, Fuego President. “We want to increase Fuego’s strategic focus on identifying and developing talent from throughout the Central Valley to feed into the Fuego system in the years ahead. We think we have the right man for the job with a winning attitude, impressive credentials, and a tireless work rate.”
Fresno Fuego host the annual Winter Combine January 2-3, 2016 at Clovis East High School, this will be the first time current and prospective Fuego players will have the opportunity to perform and earn the respect of the new Fuego coach.
“Being a part of a rising, professional soccer organization like the Fuego, has been my life’s dream,” Coach Lanigan said. “My entire family will be moving from Fairfax, VA, to Fresno because I am fully committed to devoting all of my experience and energies to the Fuego organization and the talented players in the Central Valley for many years to come.”
Fresno Fuego intends to utilize the appointment of Sean Lanigan as a springboard to build a comprehensive, ground up, grassroots collaborative development system for male and female soccer players in the Central Valley area. The landscape of soccer in our country is experiencing rapid growth, the Central Valley has always displayed a unique passion for soccer and the Fuego now have a full time Head Coach that will put emphasis on bringing the many different soccer enthusiast in our region together.
ABOUT THE FRESNO FUEGO
The Fresno Fuego are four-time Champions of the Southwest Division in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. Founded in 2003, the team competes in the newly formed Central Pacific Division of the PDL Western Conference. There has been over 50 players play for the Fuego who have moved on to sign professional contracts. The team plays its home games in the heart of Downtown Fresno at Chukchansi Park. Season Tickets, Group and Birthday packages, and fundraising options for the 2016 season are currently available by contacting Jordan Wiebe at [email protected].
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