A native of Burton-on-Trent, England, Cowlishaw has been an integral member of the Kickers franchise since the club’s inception in 1993.  Over nine seasons as head coach, he has compiled an overall record of 151-76-51.  Under his guidance, the Kickers narrowly missed Championship contention for the third consecutive season after posting a record of 14-4-2 and 44 points, good for a first-place tie at the top of the table in the USL Second Division.  Coming off the bench, Cowlishaw made a cameo appearance on the field last season.  He recorded one goal against the Bermuda Hogges on July 6th, marking his first tally in a Kickers uniform since 1998.

 

One year prior, the Kickers boasted a regular season record of 12-3-4 and 41 points, capturing the Regular Season title with the two-time USL-2 Coach of the Year nominee at the helm in 2007.  Leading the Kickers to their fourth championship final in six years, third consecutive, the Kickers narrowly lost the title match on penalties to the Harrisburg City Islanders.  In 2006, the Kickers captured their third championship title with a 2-1 win over the Charlotte Eagles.  The 2006 championship marked Cowlishaw’s second consecutive trip to the finals, his third championship appearance in five years, after a penalty kick shootout loss to Seattle in the 2005 USL-1 title match and a 2-1 overtime loss to Milwaukee during the 2001 A-League final.  Additionally, Cowlishaw has earned regular season titles in 2001 and 2006 as well as the Eastern Conference Champions title in 2002.  His success on the field is matched by numerous awards off the field, helping to guide the organization to four USL Organization of the Year awards (1995, 2000, 2006 and 2007) and two Fair Play Awards (2004 and 2008).  Following the 2006 season, he was named FieldTurf USL-2 Coach of the Year and was a USL-2 Coach of the Year finalist.  

 

As Vice President, Soccer Programs, Cowlishaw provides technical direction and guidance for all levels of the Kickers organization and serves on the board of the Richmond Kickers Youth Soccer Club.  He works closely with the technical staff to ensure all programs uphold the club philosophy of high integrity and character building and oversees all player-personnel decision making at the professional level.  In February of 2001, Cowlishaw received his USSF “A” License one year after obtaining his USSF “B” License and has also successfully completed two English FA courses.      
  
Also successful as a professional player (1993-1998), Cowlishaw helped the Kickers win the “Double” with the U.S. Open Cup and the Premier League Championships in 1995.  He resides in sixth place on the Kickers all-time goals scored list (19) and all-time points list (49) and is a Kickers top 10 career leader in assists (11). 

 

Cowlishaw is the only player to play under every coach in Kickers franchise history and in September of 1999, he was honored as the first Kicker to have his number (13) retired.  At the University of Richmond, Cowlishaw made his mark by becoming the career record holder for goals (55), assists (33) and total points (143), earning All-American honors and the CAA Player of the Year award.  In January 2001, he was the first soccer player in university history to be inducted into the University of Richmond Athletic Hall of Fame.
 

Entering her fifth season, Shelley joined the Kickers in November of 2002 as a Sales & Marketing Associate.  In December of 2003, she assumed the role of Director of Public Relations, adding Director of Fan Development to her title following the 2006 season.  Promoted to Vice President, Communications prior to the 2007 season, Shelley oversees the daily communications and media relations of the club while managing player appearances in the community, creating and implementing print and marketing materials and managing website development.  She oversees all group events and the game day experience while implementing ticket sales strategies.  Additionally, she acts as the registrar for the Central Virginia Soccer Association (CVSA).  

Shelley graduated summa cum laude from Virginia Tech in May of 2002 with a degree in marketing management.  A native of Richmond, she attended James River High School and she enjoys traveling in her spare time.

 

 

 

 

Technical Director - Ihor Dotsenko