Aug. 12, 2008

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Stephen F. Austin soccer coach George Van Linder announced Tuesday the hiring of assistant coach Trae Manny, completing the SFA staff for the 2008 season. Manny is a graduate of Louisville, where he played soccer for the Cardinals.

Manny will be involved in all aspects of the day-to-day operations of the Ladyjack program. His primary on-field coaching responsibility will be the SFA goalkeepers.

"We are excited to have someone of Trae's knowledge and experience to complement the SFA Soccer program," Van Linder said.

Manny most recently served as the head coach of the Almaden Valley Youth Soccer League in San Jose, Calif. Beginning in March of this year, he oversaw the league, aiding in the development and enhancement of its tiered program. A former goalkeeper, Manny also focused on developing and refining the techniques of goalkeepers and field players throughout the league.

In the fall of his last year at Louisville, Manny served as an administrative assistant in the athletic department's NCAA compliance office, gaining a better understanding of the NCAA constitution and bylaws. While there, he developed a compliance handbook for use by strength and conditioning coaches in the Cardinal strength program.

Every year since 2004, Manny has worked on staff at Joe Machnik's No. 1 Soccer Camp in Charleston, SC. In addition to working as a staff coach, he served as the intern program director and goalkeeper director. At the camp, Manny helped train players from eight states, including Texas. He also planned and implemented a two-week camp in Illinois.

As a player, Manny was a three-time member of the Louisville Athletic Director's Honor Roll. In 2006, he was selected to the Big East Conference Academic All-Star Team.

After finishing his eligibility at Louisville, Manny spent one season with the Chicago Storm of the Major Indoor Soccer League. Before joining the Cardinals, he played two seasons of college soccer at Capital University in Ohio.

"Trae's collegiate playing experience in the Big East and his professional playing career is a perfect complement to his tremendous amount of experience coaching goalkeepers," Van Linder said.

Manny holds an NSCAA Regional Diploma and NSCAA Goalkeeping II certification. He obtained a bachelor's degree in sport administration from Louisville in 2007.

-- SFA --