Kelly Shirah comes to EAFC as owner and executive director. Kelly is a Covington, Georgia native and grew up playing at the Rockdale Youth Soccer Association (RYSA) where he played recreational, classic and semi-professional soccer.

At age 16, Kelly started his coaching career at RYSA and has now been with the club for 21 years. He is currently the Director of Facilities and staff coach for the U19 Classic 1 Boys, U14 Classic 1 Boys and U13 Classic Boys. Kelly holds his USSF National D license and has an extensive background in coaching and club management.

As the executive director of EAFC, Kelly is responsible for all business aspects of the club and ensuring that the day to day operations run smoothly. He is also over staff and player recruitment, as well as game day procedures and fan experience. His main goal as owner and director, is to ensure that East Atlanta FC holds itself and operates to the highest professional standards.

Kelly’s objectives for the club are to create an exciting family environment for all fans to enjoy affordable professional soccer and provide a program that is competitive on the national stage giving players a chance to grow and pursue a professional soccer career.

Head Coach - Sam Walker 

Sam Walker joins EAFC as head coach. Sam comes from a pedigree of USL coaches as he played under Marcelo Serrano (currently of FC Bold USL Championship) and played and coached under Mark McKeever (currently of Des Moines Menace USL League 2). 

Sam graduated from Young Harris College where he started his soccer career as a player and then coach. Following his time at Young Harris, he continued his coaching career with the youth teams at RYSA (Rockdale Youth Soccer Association), in Conyers Ga. He has always been involved with his local community and is excited to be a part of a USL League 2 Team in Rockdale County, where he will be working with players from around the area. 

Currently, Sam is the director of Soccer at Holy Spirit Preparatory School, where education and athletic development are the main values.

The passion, love for the game and opportunity to coach young athletes to prepare them for the next level of competition as well as to coach at high level has always been an ambition that has lead Sam to continuously embrace this project.

As head coach, his objectives for the team are to be competitive in the deep south division, compete and be ready to win and apply the team correctly. 

Sam’s experience proves that he has the mentality to create an instillment of belief and to be successful, giving the fans and the local community what they deserve. 

Jose Casique: 
 
Jose Casique joins EAFC as assistant coach and Head of Fitness and Performance.
 
Jose comes with a great and previous experiences with the U17 Venezuelan National Team and worked with different professional academies in the US and Venezuela. 
Jose motivation and passion for what he does comes from his role model Rodolfo Paladini, which was Jose’s Fitness coach while he played for Caracas F.C. Academy.
Rodolfo Paladini worked at Atlanta United F.C. as an assistance coach and currently working with the Mexican national team a long side with Tata Martino. 
 
Regarding the USL 2 project Jose is looking forward to have the opportunity to be working with the senior team, and the fact that it’s a new challenge to be in a new league.
Starting from the zero is a great motivation for Jose, in terms of building and improving a team by growing a professional senior team in the US. 
 
Jose role at the Club as the head of Fitness and Performance will be, establishing and maintaining a strength and conditioning program for the athletes, by improving athletic performance, reducing athletic injuries, and teaching lifelong fitness and movement skills. 
Evaluation of athletes, by maintaining athlete records. 
Design and implement strength training and conditioning programs in season, off season and pre-season in a manner that reflects research, driven practises in the long term athletic /fitness development. 
 
Jose objectives for the team, Club and himself is to prepare in a short time all the athletes for competition, by preventing injuries, and be ready in a fitness level to compete at the highest performance. 
Success is the key for Jose, and he is looking forward to teach and improve new and young players to perform and to see their growth and development.
 Jose, wants to see the change and adapt is knowledge and experience to the Club. 
 

Luis Meneses joins EAFC as Sports performance analyst. Luis is from Porto, Portugal and started his coaching career in England at the age of 21 while was taking his FA coaching courses. (English Football Association)
Luis had the chance to experience the grassroots of the English Football working with several clubs in Birmingham FA County Association, England. 


His coaching career progressed by going back to Portugal after receiving a proposal to work for F.C.Porto professional youth academy , where he was responsible for coaching several age groups , and to be involved with the player development program . 
After a year Luis, went back to England to study and to develop more is knowledge of the game, by joining University of Gloucestershire where he graduated in (BSC) Sports Science and Sports Management and currently holds his UEFA B License coach badge. 
During the 4 years of the degree, Luis worked for the Premier League Club, West Bromwich Albion F.C Youth Academy, and competed on the Junior Premier League with the U14s Boys and U13s Boys, which the main objective was to potentialize young athletes to become professional academy players. 


As the performance analyst of EAFC, Luis will be responsible for processing, assessing performance and support coaches and players in their journey towards optimal results. 
Such us tactical assessment, movement analysis, video and statistical databasing and modeling and coach and player data presentations. 
One on one sessions with players to provide them with technical and tactical assessments and observation. 


Luis’s objectives for the club is make sure that all the coaching staff, executive directors, managers and athletes can achieve their potential by building relationships. Luis’s believes that is crucial that trust, professionalism and personal objectives are key for the success of the Club.