Head Coach: Matt Pilkington
About Matt Pilkington
Pilkington has been with the NYCFC Academy since 2016. Serving as Head Coach of the U-15/U-16 and U-19 groups culminating with the U16 Generation Adidas Cup Premier Division Champions and back-to-back National Championship titles with the U-19s. An experienced coach, the Rochdale, England native has coached every Homegrown player NYCFC has signed to their First Team to date.
Pilkington said: “It’s an honor to be part of this new endeavor and write the next chapter in the history of this Club. I'm passionate about helping players grow and develop, I look forward to the opportunity to do so. I think this is a really important step in the evolution of our Club and I’m excited to use my experience to connect with players and help them achieve their goals. MLS NEXT Pro will provide a competitive and professional environment for these players to master their craft with a pathway into our First Team as the ultimate goal.
‘’I would also like to thank NYCFC affiliate, Downtown United SC (DUSC) for playing a major part in my career and development as a coach and leader. The NYCFC affiliate clubs have played a pivotal role in the development of the academy and DUSC is a wonderful organization that has helped me tremendously.
‘’It’s going to be an extremely busy few months as we build this team and start this Club from scratch, but I'm excited for the challenge and can’t wait for the season to begin.”
Prior to NYCFC, Pilkington acted as the Technical Director with Club affiliate Downtown United SC for the U-12 through U-18 boy’s group. While attending George Washington University, the Head Coach played two years on a full-athletic soccer scholarship before going on to represent the Richmond Kickers in the A-League, the former U.S. men’s professional soccer league. The Head Coach holds a U.S. Soccer Federation A FIFA Coaching License and recently completed the U.S. Soccer Pro License Course.
