Mehdi Ballouchy was promoted from the Academy to an Assistant Coach on Ronny Deila’s staff on January 10, 2020.
The former NYCFC midfielder joined the Academy staff in 2017 and was most recently the Head Coach of the U-15s. During his time at NYCFC, he’s also coached the U-14s and his teams have competed against top teams both domestically and abroad.
Born in Casablanca, Morocco, Ballouchy played in college for Creighton University and Santa Clara University before being drafted second overall by Real Salt Lake in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft.
A 10-year veteran of MLS, Ballouchy made 217 career MLS appearances, including 23 in New York City. Three of his 16 career goals came at the Club.
Ballouchy was also invited to coach within the U.S. Youth National Team setup. His experience at the national level included time at U-16 talent ID and national team camps, as well as a spell with the U-23 Olympic program.