Three teams—U13, U14 and U15—to begin play in the fall of 2025, representing an historic moment for elite youth soccer in Chattanooga.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (May 1, 2025) — Chattanooga FC announced today its seven-member technical staff ahead of its inaugural season in MLS NEXT. Three elite boys teams—U13, U14 and U15—will compete in the top youth soccer development league in North American, beginning in the 2025-2026 season.
A U15 team (2011 birth year) will begin competing in the fall of 2025 alongside the originally announced U13 (2013 birth year) and U14 (2012 birth year) teams.
MLS NEXT provides the best player development experience in North America. Founded on a collaborative approach to governance and a commitment to innovation, MLS NEXT players have access to the highest levels of competition and to training to prepare them for their futures, both in soccer and in life.
The technical staff hired to lead these programs in Chattanooga represents the highest concentration of A-level, fully professional coaching available in the region.
The staff will cover all team and player needs, including performance analysis, recruitment, sports medicine and individual and team development.
"We fully view development as contextual, so the programming and the coaches need to represent what the community represents,” said Chattanooga FC Sporting Director Sebastian Giraldo. “The way we will execute MLS NEXT in Chattanooga, Tennessee is much different than what we would do in other places. This will benefit other areas of the club, including grassroots, the competitive college pathways. We are raising the standards because MLS' standards are very high. This will improve the whole system."
The program will be led by Sporting Director Sebastian Giraldo and MLS NEXT Director and CFC Academy Director of Coaching Miguel Rodrigues. Giraldo and Rodrigues will manage all aspects of recruitment and development for the club's MLS NEXT teams.
Giraldo has a vast and diverse coaching resume. Before joining CFC as Academy Director of Coaching, he was the Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club Elite Technical Director, where he oversaw 10,000 youth soccer players in the Colorado Front Range. He served as Women’s Team Head Coach for the Colorado Storm (USL W League) and Colorado Rapids (WPSL), leading the teams through multiple successful seasons. He led the Storm to a Western Conference Championship and Mountain Division Championship in 2023, along with the national final this past summer, and he led the Rapids to two Rockies Division Championships. He was also named WPSL Mountain Conference Coach of the Year in 2022.
Rodrigues brings 15 years worth of diverse coaching experiences in both college and youth soccer. He has been working in the youth soccer space consistently since 2018 with responsibilities including club methodology, coaching education, scouting, administrative work and alliance clubs. Most recently, Rodrigues was the South Technical Director, U23 Head Coach, WPSL Assistant Coach and U14 Boys ECNL Coach at Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club, where he oversaw all technical areas for 3,500 players ranging from age 3-19. Before that he was the Assistant Director of Coaching at San Antonio City Soccer Club from 2020 to 2021 and the USSF Boys Development Academy Director, Age Group Director and U16/17 Academy Coach for Weston FC in Weston, Florida.
The U13 and U15 teams will be led by Maryn Beutler, a CFC Academy Head Coach and Associate Head Coach for CFC Women. Beutler has coached in diverse and high performance environments at the national club and collegiate level since 2016. Prior to her coaching career, she played collegiately at the University of Oregon in 78 career matches, and scored eight goals, including five game-winners. As a youth player, she was named Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year and Oregon ODP Female Player of the Year. Prior to her move to Chattanooga, Beutler was the Director of Performance Analysis, Assistant ECNL Girls Director and ECNL Head Coach at Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club. Additionally, she was the First Assistant of the Colorado Storm USL W Team, where she helped guide the team to the 2024 USL W National Championship.
Beutler has a USSF A License and will also serve as the Director of Performance for the club's MLS NEXT programs.
The U14 team will be led by Gonzalo Obando, who joins the club after serving as the Director of Coaching for the U13-U19 NPL sides for Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club. He brings previous experience coaching in MLS NEXT as he was an assistant coach for the U13 MLS NEXT side for Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club. Obando has a USSF B License and a MBP Master in High Performance Football from MBP Coaches' School.
"Both Maryn and Gonzalo are extremely bright people and coaches," said Rodrigues. "They will add a high level of professionalism, standards and expectations to the program and the players and the environment. That will make a huge difference in the long term."
A full list of Chattanooga FC’s 2025/2026 MLS NEXT technical staff is included below:
2025/2026 Chattanooga FC MLS NEXT Technical Staff
Sporting Director: Sebastian Giraldo
MLS NEXT Director: Miguel Rodrigues
U13 and U15 Head Coach and Director of Performance Analysis: Maryn Beutler
U14 Head Coach: Gonzalo Obando
Director of Performance: Richard Dixon
Performance Coordinator: Eric Miller
Director of Sports Medicine: Mariah Bernanke
