By Jon Johnson
Ricky Davey has been promoted from Head Soccer Coach of Dothan United to the newly-created position of Sporting Director, the club has announced.
“We’re looking to grow the program and it’s a great opportunity for him to help us oversee the entire soccer operation on the pitch, if you will, from the coaches, to the players, to game-planning, to nutrition, to recruiting,” Dothan United general manager Aaron McCreight said of the move.
Davey completed his first season with the Dragons this past summer, leading the team to a 9-2-2 record in the United Soccer League Two, highlighted by earning the South Central Division title in the Southern Conference for the first time in franchise history and hosting a first-round playoff game.
Davey, who was also the associate head coach for men’s soccer at Mercer (Ga.) University while with the Dragons, got an opportunity for his first head coaching job on the Division I college level last July when he was hired to lead the men’s soccer program at Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C.
Instead of trying to juggle dual head coaching roles between Campbell’s fall season and the Dragons’ season in the spring and summer, Davey and Dothan United officials agreed on the new role so Davey could remain on board with the club. Davey and his wife are also expecting twin boys in November and already have a young son.
“Understandably, with his new job and his family growing, he just wasn’t able to commit to being here every day,” McCreight said. “But we definitely wanted his expertise, we wanted him still in the fold and he’s a great recruiter. He’s got contacts across the country and across the world, and we loved having him on board as a wonderful recruiter to keep that piece.”
Davey first arrived in Dothan to take over the role vacated by Carl Reynolds, who resigned last February after being hired as the associate head men’s soccer coach at Liberty University.
Reynolds led the Dragons during their first two years of a franchise, which included the team reaching the USL2 national semifinals two years ago after winning the Southern Conference title.
Dothan United president and co-owner Steve Donner talked about the importance of keeping someone of Davey’s caliber in the organization.
“Throughout my entire career, I’ve not been big on a revolving door of coaches,” said Donner, who has been part of many professional sports franchises. “Ricky wanted to stay involved, but did not know exactly what the future was going to hold with the twins coming.
“As we look to the future in having a sporting director, Ricky not only is a great soccer guy, but a great coach and a great recruiter, which is also a very important part of USL2. He had big shoes to fill when Carl left and he came right in and didn’t skip a beat, quite honestly.
“Now as a Division I head coach, those recruiting tentacles are out even wider. It really checks a lot of boxes for us short term, but I do think it speaks for long-term growth and what we’re thinking about long term for soccer in Dothan.
“And we’re looking ahead to the future as we continue to grow. We’re going to be looking at a potential academy team – a feeder team of some sort in the future – and who knows where that’s going to go. We really felt that our thoughts were aligned.”
Davey certainly has experience along those lines.
He was with the Atlanta United (MLS franchise) Academy program for four years, first coaching the Atlanta United MLS Next Under-14 team and then taking over as the program’s U19 head coach and College Showcase coordinator. While leading the U-19 team, he also was an assistant coach for the Atlanta United 2 Team, focusing on opposition analysis and defense.
McCreight stressed it was important to keep consistency within the franchise, which has been ultra-successful during its three years in operation. Dothan United has built a loyal fan base and drawn big home crowds at Rip Hewes Stadium.
“You sort of become a victim of your own success at this level of soccer,” McCreight said. “The better you do, people start coming for your players, they start coming for your coaches, and we understand that.
“We’ve worked really hard to build the brand of Dothan United across the country as a destination to come play. If the voice is changing every year, it takes away a little bit from that brand. I believe elevating Ricky to this director position was a perfect fit.”
It also is a positive reflection on what Dothan United has accomplished in a relatively short period of time.
“He had a great opportunity to go to Campbell and get a D-I coaching job – there’s not that many in the country,” McCreight said of Davey. “It helps us when people look at us and say, ‘Wow, their players and their coaches keep moving up.’ We want to be that path to professional or collegiate soccer.”
“We want him to grow as well and utilize the knowledge he brings to the table more than coaching day-to-day. We’re thrilled that we came to this agreement and couldn’t be more excited for him and his family.”
A new head coach for Dothan United is expected to be announced soon.
