SANDY, Utah (Tuesday, December 23, 2014) – Real Monarchs announced on Tuesday that former RSL-Arizona Academy coach Freddy Juarez will be the USL Pro club’s inaugural head coach, as appointed by recently-named Real Salt Lake Technical Director Craig Waibel. Juarez will be joined on his coaching staff by David “Bingy” Lara.
Juarez makes the move to the professional ranks after four seasons coaching the RSL-Arizona Academy. There, he coached the U-16 team to its first U-16 USSDA National Championship in the 2012-13 season.
“We are excited to have Freddy and David join our coaching staff,” Real Monarchs President Rob Zarkos said. “Freddy has been integral in developing current RSL players and we look forward to continued excellence in his role as head coach of the Monarchs.”
With the Casa Grande, Arizona-based team, Juarez guided and developed more than 70 players who later moved onto the collegiate and professional ranks. During his tenure, both the U-18 and U-16 teams reached the USSDA playoff every year since the inception of the soccer academy in 2010. That included a third-place finish for the U-16 team in 2010-11 and the national championship in 2012-13. During his tenure, he developed future RSL signings Sebastian Saucedo, Justen Glad and Jordan Allen, as well as players that succeeded at the college level like Phanuel Kavita – a four-year starter at Clemson – and 2014 NCAA champion Riggs Lennon.
“Freddy has done a great job developing young players in Arizona and we are confident that he will continue to do that in our organization at the USL level,” Waibel said. “We look forward to working closely with him as we launch the Monarchs.”
Along with his work in Arizona, Juarez also completed a 16-month long course for Major League Soccer representatives in conjunction with the French Football Federation to earn his Elite Formation Coaching License.
Juarez, 36, played professionally for the El Paso Patriots from 1998-2003 and the Minnesota Thunder from 2004-2007 in the USL A-League and USL-1. Juarez helped the Patriots earn four postseason berths and in the process he was named the club’s Defensive Player of the Year twice. While with the Thunder, Juarez helped the team earn two postseason appearances in three seasons and reached the quarterfinal of the U.S. Open Cup. In total, he played in over 200 matches in the A-League and was called to participate in U.S. National Team camp in 2005. In addition, he played the 1999-2000 season with the Wichita Wings in the NPSL and for the U.S. National Futsal Team in 2007.
He will be joined on the coaching staff by Lara, who spent the last four seasons as an assistant coach for the women’s soccer team at Morehead State University in Kentucky. Lara, 28, also coached two years with the University of Kentucky men's soccer program where he played from 2005-08.
Real Monarchs will open their inaugural USL Pro season in March, 2015, in Sandy, Utah. Season ticket packages for the inaugural season, which start at just $112 for lower bowl seating, allow extraordinary access to Rio Tinto Stadium, home of Major League Soccer's Real Salt Lake, the Monarch's parent club. For ticketing, visit www.RealMonarchs.com.
