Savannah Clovers appoint first head coach as professional soccer club

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Savannah Clovers FC has named their first head coach for the professional soccer club.

Savannah Clovers FC have appointed of head coach David Proctor to will lead the club in their inaugural season in the National Independent Soccer Association league (NISA) in 2023.

“We are delighted to have David Proctor join Savannah Clovers FC as our first ever head coach as we embark on a new professional era for this soccer club,” says CEO Shane Folgado. “We are confident that David possesses the necessary coaching experience and expertise required as we navigate our first season as a professional soccer club with the hard work starting now in preparation for 2023′s kick-off.”

“I’m thrilled at being given this opportunity to guide Savannah Clovers FC as the first head coach of this exciting soccer club,” says David Proctor. “I’ve had numerous meetings with the passionate ownership group and being a resident in the city with my family meant I had my heart set out on landing this position from day one – I’m looking forward to starting the new role as we gear up for March 2023 when NISA gets underway and we go about building the club one block at a time.”

Proctor was born in York, England where he began his youth career with Aston Villa before embarking on his professional career that saw him take in stints with Hull City, Middlesbrough and Halifax Town. Proctor made the move to the United States towards the end of his playing career most notably in spells with Indiana Blast and Richmond Kickers were he began familiarizing himself with the soccer landscape in North America.

Proctor gained his various coaching qualifications, he holds a UEFA A-license, and he began his career in Major League Soccer (MLS) with the Colorado Rapids and Columbus Crew over a 12-year period that culminated in a MLS Cup title with the Rapids in 2010 while head coach of the reserve team.

Proctor was recruited by Nashville SC as an assistant coach during their inaugural USL Championship season in 2018 where the club excelled making the USL Championship Playoffs and defeated the Colorado Rapids in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in their maiden season. Following a successful three-year spell with Nashville SC, Proctor took on a role with the Charleston Battery in the USL as the Director of Coaching across the entire club which oversaw coaching implementation, scouting and opposition research spanning a two-year period.

Most recently Proctor was in a Director of Coaching role where he was heavily involved in the planning and developing of training sessions, scouting, recruitment and analysis as well as overseeing the club’s MLS Next u19 group.

Proctor has now been tasked with taking the managerial reigns at Savannah Clovers as the club brings the world’s game to the historic City of Savannah. Proctor must start that process by building a team that will represent the Hostess City on the field of play and that will get the community rallying around this newly professionalized soccer club.