There are not many days left before D.C. United’s USL affiliate, Loudoun United FC, take the field on March 9 for their inaugural game against Nashville SC. There’s not yet much to resemble a roster, but at least now, there’s a man in charge, one who will help shape the club over the next couple of weeks. 

In Loudoun County, Virginia, yesterday, Loudoun United officially unveiled Richie Williams, a former player who spent several years winning trophies with D.C, as their first ever head coach.

Now, as the Black and Red continue to try to catch up with the rest of MLS in terms of infrastructure, they have someone familiar with the area in charge of a team that will be tasked with helping to develop players, in addition to producing results on the field.

“I knew that the project and the team was going to be something special,” Williams said on Tuesday in his introductory press conference. “Especially now with the investment that the ownership group is putting into the new stadium, and now the training facility and stadium for Loudoun United. I think great things are down the road for D.C. United and Loudoun United FC.”

Williams played at the University of Virginia, and then spent six seasons with the Black and Red, while ending his career with the Richmond Kickers. Williams then embarked on a coaching career that has seen him work with younger players and professional teams. His most recent stint was as an assistant for the U.S. men’s national team, both under Bruce Arena and Dave Sarachan.

The only other time Williams was the head coach was when he was with the U.S. U-18s, and then U-17s. Now with the USL side, he’ll be tasked with helping to create an environment that will help both seasoned professionals and younger players succeed.

“In terms of man management, dealing with pros is different than when you talk to young players,” Williams told FloFC after his press conference. “They are at different stages of their careers, on different developmental cycles. I have experience with both groups of players, so I think that will be beneficial.”

Williams flew to Florida today to join up with D.C. United’s training camp. He’ll get a chance to chat with Ben Olsen and his staff, and look at a couple of players who will likely spend varying amounts of time with Loudoun throughout 2019. When he returns, Loudoun will host a tryout for two days, and then begin their own training camp on Feb. 11, less than a month before the trip to Nashville.

It doesn’t leave much time to build up the squad, but getting Williams on board was a rather important step, according to Loudoun United’s Chief Operating Officer Adam Behnke.  

“This is a big day for us,” said Behnke after the press conference. “[Williams] is a guy that has had an incredible track record on the field, off the field, and has all these ties to Virginia and D.C. United. He is going to bring a lot of structure and processes to this team that we need to assemble this team and drive our entire organization forward.”

Steven Streff, a lifelong fan of the beautiful game, has been covering D.C. United since the 2009 season for various outlets. You can find him on Twitter and Instagram.