RICHMOND, VA – (Monday, February 22, 2016) – The Richmond Kickers are pleased to announce that Leigh Cowlishaw will return for his 17th season as head coach in 2016. Sascha Görres and Adrian Clewlow will return as Assistant Coach and Goalkeeping Coach, respectively, with team captain, Michael Callahan, joining as a player/assistant coach.
“As we continue to improve our overall coaching structure, we will utilize Adrian full time as our Goalkeeping Coach, while Sascha will focus more on his coaching responsibilities as he transitions from player to coach,” commented Cowlishaw. “It is great to have Cally on board as well. He will be a welcome addition to the staff and, along with his playing duties, will work primarily as a performance analyst for the club.”
In 16 seasons at the helm, Cowlishaw has amassed an overall record of 250-121-107, leading the Kickers to their 12th consecutive playoff berth with a record of 12-9-11 in 2015. Under his guidance, the Kickers have qualified for postseason play 15 times, reaching the title match six times (2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010) while earning the Regular Season Championship title on four occasions (2001, 2006, 2007 and 2013) and claiming the league crown twice (2006 and 2009).
Having also achieved significant success in the U.S. Open Cup, he won the tournament title as a player in 1995 and has since led the team to four quarterfinal appearances (2001, 2004, 2007, 2011) and a remarkable semifinal finish in 2011, ousting five Major League Soccer teams along the way. A member of the USL Hall of Fame and 2013 USL Coach of the Year, Cowlishaw’s success on the field is matched by numerous awards off the field, helping to guide the club to five USL Organization of the Year awards (1995, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2009).
A franchise player entering his 12th season with the Kickers and returning for his fourth season as an assistant coach, Görres anchored Richmond’s starting lineup from 2005 through 2015, making the second most appearances in club history with 281 while logging 23,000 minutes in a Kickers uniform. Integral on both sides of the ball, the native of Flensburg, Germany contributed to 11 shutouts in 2015 and tied for third on the team with four assists. A two-time USL All-League First Team honoree, two-time USL All-League Second Team honoree and 2008 USL Defender of the Year Finalist, he holds the franchise record for most consecutive games played (107) and resides in second place on the club’s all-time career assists list with 53 and in sixth place on the all-time career points list with 87.
Originally from Dover, England, Clewlow returns for his second season as Goalkeeping Coach and holds a FA Youth Coaching Certification, NSCAA Director of Coaching Diploma, NSCAA Advanced National Diploma, and NSCAA Advanced National Goalkeeping Diploma. He played in the youth and academy teams for Gillingham F.C. and Chelsea F.C in England, and also represented England at the U-18 schoolboy level before attending the University of Richmond where he was a four-year starter and two-year captain for the Spiders. The CAA Rookie of the Year was a two-time All-South Regional All-American selection in his final two seasons and led the team to the 1998 CAA Championship. Clewlow’s professional playing career included stints with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, New Orleans Storm, and two seasons with the Richmond Kickers, before coaching college soccer at the Division I, II, and III levels.
Signing with the Kickers days before the 2011 home opener, Callahan made an immediate impact and quickly became a regular on the starting lineup, since making 106 appearances in a Kickers uniform. Named team captain prior to the 2015 season, he has amassed nearly 7,000 minutes over five seasons, contributing to 50 shutouts while adding three goals and five assists. Originally from Cary, N.C., he started 79 of 82 games played at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, notching 10 career goals and 13 career assists over four seasons. He earned NSCAA/adidas Men’s Collegiate Scholar All-America honors his senior year and was a NSCAA/adidas All-America selection.
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