After years at U.S. Soccer, Poole returns to the Carolinas with local ties to UNC Charlotte, Wake Forest University and Wingate University
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (January 2, 2024) – Super League Carolina announced today the hiring of Philip Poole as the club’s first-ever Head Coach ahead of its inaugural 2024 season. Poole, a Charlottean for 24 years, will lead the Carolina’s new women’s professional soccer team following the conclusion of his duties as an Assistant Coach with the United States Women’s National Team, which will run until the end of the 2024 SheBelieves Cup in April. He becomes the Super League Carolina Head Coach after an extensive search of highly talented candidates throughout professional soccer.
“I’m thrilled to be chosen to lead this new women’s professional soccer franchise and join the USL Super League ahead of its inaugural season,” stated Super League Carolina Head Coach, Philip Poole. “I look forward to working with our ownership group to expand the women’s game and create more opportunities for exceptional women to compete and work in the game of soccer. To support our players, we’re going to bring in a top-tier technical staff, develop a robust athlete care program and create a community of passionate women’s soccer fans across the Carolinas. The climb begins today!”
Poole joined the USWNT in January 2020 and was an integral part of the technical staff serving in multiple roles. During his tenure, Poole helped lead the United States to an impressive 2020 Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship, qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where the team took home the bronze medal. This was followed by four She Believes Championships (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023), and the 2022 Concacaf W Championship which qualified the team for both the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Poole first joined the ranks at U.S. Soccer in 2012, working as a coach and scout from the U-17 level up to the senior National Team. He served as the Assistant Coach for the U.S. Under-20 Women’s World Cup Team in 2014 and from 2017-2019 was a staff member overseeing the U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team.
Internationally, he was also a member of the Puerto Rico Men’s National Team coaching staff during the qualifying campaign for the FIFA 2014 World Cup.
Poole’s professional coaching experience began in Charlotte, N.C. with both the Charlotte Independence and the Charlotte Eagles.
Collegiately, Poole’s prior coaching experience includes stints with Wake Forest University as the Associate Head Coach, Assistant Coach with UNC Charlotte men’s soccer program and one year with his alma mater, Wingate University.
Poole has always been heavily involved in the development of soccer in the Charlotte area. He spent five years as the Executive Director of the Lake Norman Soccer Club before an extremely successful period as the Elite Girls’ Director at Charlotte Soccer Academy.
“To be a good head coach you need to be good at being a leader, be good at teaching, be good at executing – and be a good, caring person,” stated Super League Carolina Managing Partner, Jim McPhilliamy. “Philip, I and principal owner Dan Dimicco are united in our view that both the players and the fans deserve a championship-caliber team each season. Philip has all the qualities and the perspective that will make him a great head coach for our team now and in the years to come.”
A native of Newcastle, England, Poole played as a youth player with Newcastle United before spending three seasons with Hull City AFC. In 2000, Poole came to the United States to attend college at Wingate University. There, he was named to the Team of the Decade and picked up many accolades during his successful career.
Poole and his wife, Melissa, have three daughters, Isabella, Jenna, and Alexa. Poole is one of only a handful of coaches in the United States to hold the USSF Pro License.
About Super League Carolina:
Super League Carolina is one of the eight initial markets of the USL Super League, a professional women’s soccer league set to kick off in August 2024. The USL Super League has committed to U.S. Soccer’s Division One standards, reflecting its collective vision to be a global leader in women’s soccer on and off the field while providing more opportunities for more women in more communities.
About the USL Super League:
The USL Super League is a professional women’s soccer league set to kick off in August 2024.
Built for the future of women’s soccer, the USL Super League has committed to U.S. Soccer’s Division One standards, reflecting its collective vision to be a global leader on and off the field while providing more opportunities for more women in more communities.
