DME Academy announced that, by David Proctor and Stewart Flaherty serve as head coaches for the men's soccer program.Both coaches have extensive experience across American professional soccer, NCAA college soccer, and youth training systems. They will jointly lead the DME Men's Soccer Program, helping student-athletes improve their competitive abilities and prepare them for future careers in American college and professional soccer.
David Proctor: From English Professional Football to the US MLS Youth System
David Proctor came through the youth academy of the renowned English professional football club Aston Villa. During his playing career, he played for English professional teams such as Hull City, Middlesbrough, and Halifax Town before moving to the United States, where he accumulated practical experience across English and American football environments.
After transitioning to coaching, Proctor was involved in youth development for Major League Soccer (MLS) teams Colorado Rapids and Columbus Crew, helping to nurture talent including Sam Vines, a player for the U.S. men's national team.
He also served as an assistant coach for Nashville SC and led Savannah Clovers to victory. 2023 NISA Independent Cup South Region Champion。
Thomas Baudinet, sporting director of DME Academy, said that Proctor has experience in both youth training and professional football coaching, and has a deep understanding of the abilities that players need at different stages of development, making him an ideal leader for DME's men's football program.
Stewart Flaherty: 17 years of NCAA coaching experience, having developed over 60 professional players.
Stewart Flaherty owns 17 years of coaching experience in NCAA Division I, II, and III college soccer.He previously worked at Dartmouth College, Bates College, and Felician University, and is familiar with the competitive environment and player development model of American college soccer.
In professional soccer, he led the Michigan Stars to the NISA national championship. After taking over the team, he achieved a defensive record of 12 clean sheets in 13 games, demonstrating excellent team organization and tactical abilities.
In addition, Flaherty participated in the training program of USL League Two team Portland Phoenix for eight consecutive summers, helping to develop more than 60 players who later went on to become professional footballers, including MLS player Wyatt Omsberg.
In addition to his experience coaching football, Flaherty is also qualified in sports psychology and has provided psychological counseling to athletes in 17 different sports, including UFC fighters and world-class boxers.
His addition will bring DME more comprehensive tactical and technical guidance, psychological training, and experience in university football development.
By combining professional and university football resources, a complete development path can be created.
Proctor and Flaherty not only have professional backgrounds in different fields, but also coached at the same time in the NISA professional league in the United States, and are quite familiar with each other's tactical concepts and team management abilities.
Proctor stated that Flaherty was one of the first coaches he contacted after taking over the DME football program. Both share similar football philosophies and he believes they can work together to build a more competitive team culture.
For DME Academy, the addition of the two coaches is not only about improving the team's performance, but more importantly, about helping student athletes build the skills needed for long-term development.
Through professional training, competitive matches, academic support, and personal development planning, DME is committed to enabling students from different countries to pursue their football dreams while also creating more opportunities for college admissions and future career development in the United States.
DME Academy will continue to strengthen its men's football program, combining an international coaching team with a comprehensive student-athlete development environment to help the next generation of football talent reach higher levels of competition.
