San Diego FC Announces Assistant Coaching Staff Ahead of the Club's Inaugural MLS Season

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MLS San Diego FC

San Diego FC Announces Assistant Coaching Staff Ahead of the Club's Inaugural MLS Season

December 18, 2024 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
San Diego FC News Release


SAN DIEGO - San Diego FC (SDFC) today announced the Club's assistant coaching staff that will support Head Coach Mikey Varas during the Club's inaugural MLS season. Frank Hjortebjerg, Kelvin Jones, and Luciano Fusco have been named Assistant Coaches, while Jason Grubb will serve as Goalkeeper Coach.

"Building a strong and dynamic coaching staff is crucial as we prepare for our inaugural season, and we are thrilled to welcome Frank, Kelvin, Luciano, and Jason to the San Diego FC family," said SDFC Sporting Director Tyler Heaps. "We believe each of them bring experiences and knowledge that will support Mikey and our players as we prepare for a short ramp-up to our opening games. Together, we'll work to build a competitive team, fostering a culture of excellence both on and off the field."

San Diego FC Coaching Staff

Mikey Varas - Head Coach

Frank Hjortebjerg - Assistant Coach

Kelvin Jones - Assistant Coach

Luciano Fusco - Assistant Coach

Jason Grubb - Goalkeeper Coach

"I'm extremely excited about the talented group of assistant coaches we've brought in to support the team as we embark on our first season in MLS," said SDFC Head Coach Mikey Varas. "Together, our goal is to create the right conditions for our players to succeed by focusing on their individual development and fostering a winning mentality as a team. We will give everything we have to lead a team San Diego can be proud of."

Frank Hjortebjerg - San Diego FC Assistant Coach

Hjortebjerg joins SDFC as an Assistant Coach, bringing extensive experience from Denmark's top clubs. Most recently, he served as Assistant Coach for Odense Boldklub in the Danish Superliga (2022-2024) and spent three years with FC Nordsjaelland, where he contributed as a First Team Assistant Coach and also as a First Team Analyst. Additionally, Hjortebjerg has excelled in developing young talent, having served as Head Coach for Brøndby IF's U-17 team and FC Nordsjaelland's U-15 team. With a proven track record in both first-team coaching and youth development, Hjortebjerg brings valuable tactical expertise and leadership to SDFC's coaching staff ahead of its inaugural MLS season.

Luciano Fusco - San Diego FC Assistant Coach

Fusco brings a wealth of coaching experience across MLS, collegiate, and academy levels to SDFC. Most recently, he served as an assistant coach for the San Jose Earthquakes under head coach Luchi González from 2023-2024, where he helped the team qualify for the MLS playoffs in 2023. He assumed the role full-time after acting as interim assistant coach during the 2022 MLS season, supporting the team through the final 27 matches under interim head coach Alex Covelo. Fusco also worked as an assistant coach for Quakes II in MLS NEXT Pro and as a head coach in the Earthquakes Academy for the U-15 and U-17 squads. Prior to joining San Jose in 2018, he was part of the LAFC Academy as a youth head coach and served as an assistant coach for UCLA men's soccer from 2016-2018. During his tenure, Fusco has earned four coaching invitations with the U.S. U-16 National Team.

Kelvin Jones - San Diego FC Assistant Coach

Jones joins SDFC as an Assistant Coach after a successful career with the Columbus Crew, where he served in various roles since 2017, including Academy Director and Crew 2 Head Coach in 2024. Under his leadership, Crew 2 reached the Eastern Conference Final in MLS NEXT Pro, showcasing a young, dynamic squad with an average age of 19.1 years and finishing third in the league for minutes played by U-19 players. Internationally, Jones was an assistant coach for the U.S. U-17 Men's National Team during the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup, where the team reached the Round of 16. A former professional player with the Richmond Kickers and Charleston Battery, Jones also excelled as a standout defender at Wake Forest University, leading the Demon Deacons to three NCAA Tournament appearances. Kelvin holds numerous coaching certifications including a USSF A License, NSCAA Director of Coaching Diploma, USSF National Youth License, and his Elite Formation Coaching License (EFCL), a partnership between MLS and the French Football Federation for elite MLS Academy coaches.

Jason Grubb - San Diego FC Goalkeeper Coach

Grubb joins SDFC as Goalkeeper Coach, bringing extensive experience from MLS and international soccer. Most recently, he served as Austin FC's First Team Set Piece Coach in 2024 after helping Austin FC II win the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro title. Prior to that, he was Head of Academy Goalkeeping and Dynamo 2 Goalkeeping Coach with the Houston Dynamo. Internationally, Grubb was the Goalkeeper Coach for the U.S Senior Men's National team during the 2023 Gold Cup. He was also Goalkeeping Coach for the U.S. U-20 Men's Youth National Team, helping them win the 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship. Additionally, he worked with the U-18 and U-20 U.S. Women's Youth National Teams during his time with the U.S. Youth National Teams. His coaching career includes roles as Head of Goalkeeping at IMG Academy, and as assistant coach at Quinnipiac University.

SDFC will celebrate their inaugural home match, presented by DIRECTV, by hosting St. Louis CITY SC at Snapdragon Stadium on Saturday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m. PT. Prior to the Club's first-ever home match, SDFC will kick off the Club's inaugural MLS campaign against the LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park during the opening weekend of 2025 MLS action, Feb. 22-23.

To learn more about SDFC Season Ticket Memberships, fans can visit SanDiegoFC.com/tickets. For the latest news and Club updates, please visit SanDiegoFC.com, follow @SanDiegoFC on social media across all platforms, and use the hashtag #SanDiegoFC #FlowWithUs.

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