Inter Miami CF announced today updates to the First Team coaching staff ahead of the start of the 2023 MLS preseason. Head coach Phil Neville’s full coaching staff will be composed of assistant coaches Jason Kreis, Darren Powell and Javier Morales, assistant coach and performance analyst Alec Scott, goalkeeper coach Sebastián Saja, high performance director Garrison Draper and performance analyst Connor Ceballos.
Powell will retain his position as Director of Player Development for the Club, but will make the jump to the First Team as an assistant coach after previously serving as Inter Miami CF II head coach, while Morales joins as an assistant coach following his tenure as Academy U-17 head coach. Additionally, Draper joins the staff from MLS Cup finalist Philadelphia Union and Connor Ceballos joins from Atlanta United. Kreis, Scott and Saja remain with the First Team coaching staff after helping the team reach the 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs.
“I’m really excited about this coaching staff. There’s a lot of energy, experience and passion among these coaches to help this Club achieve its goals in 2023,” said head coach Phil Neville. “We’re really happy to have promoted Darren and Javi from within, kept a strong group that helped us achieve success with Jason, Alec, and Sebastián, and brought in Garrison and Connor who come from successful franchises.”
Kreis joined the Club in 2019 as Senior Academy Director, before taking roles as Inter Miami CF II head coach and eventually First Team assistant coach. His extensive coaching experience also includes a recent stint as U.S. U-23 Men's National Team head coach. As head coach of Real Salt Lake in 2009, he led the team to its first MLS Cup title, becoming the youngest head coach in MLS history (34) to win MLS Cup. Kreis began his professional career in the sport as a player, making over 300 appearances over 12 years in the MLS and scoring over 100 goals, making a top-10 goalscorer in MLS history.
Powell joined the Club in Jan. 2020, first serving as Inter Miami Director of Player Development and Inter Miami CF II assistant coach, before taking over as Inter Miami CF II head coach for the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Powell helped oversee the development of several young standouts who would eventually sign First Team contracts and earn regular MLS minutes, including Noah Allen, Drake Callender and Aimé Mabika. In 2022, Powell helped guide Inter Miami CF II to a sixth-place finish in the Eastern Conference in the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro season. In 2021, he led the team to a stellar attacking record of 40 goals in 28 games, good for fourth in USL League One. Prior to joining Inter Miami, Powell served as head coach of San Antonio FC in the USL Championship from 2016 to 2019.
Morales joined Inter Miami in early 2019 as an Academy coach. In 2022, he led Inter Miami’s U-17 side to the semifinals of the 2022 Generation adidas Cup, a first-place finish in the U-17 East (South) Division, and qualified the team for MLS NEXT U-17 playoffs.
The former midfielder - nicknamed ‘El Maestro’ - enjoyed a successful 11-year stay in MLS with Real Salt Lake and later on FC Dallas, in which he racked up 255 regular season appearances and 21 playoff appearances, registering a total 53 goals and 92 assists, between 2007 and 2017. In 2008 Morales completed his first full season in MLS, in which he guided RSL to its first-ever MLS Cup Playoffs on the strength of his 15 regular season assists. Then, in his second season in the league, Morales helped RSL clinch the 2009 MLS Cup title, the only one in club history to date.
Scott joined Inter Miami in March 2021 after stints as Senior Team Assistant Performance Analyst for the England Men’s National Team (2013-2016) and Performance Analyst for the England Men’s Under-20’s National Team (2016-2021). Previously, Scott was Academy Performance Analyst for Everton FC (2009-2010), and Performance Analyst and Sport Scientist for Liverpool F.C. (2010-2013).
Saja joined the Club as Academy goalkeeper coordinator and coach before making the jump to the First Team staff ahead of the inaugural 2020 season. The Argentine played for several different teams before retiring in 2017, spending the most time with Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro and Racing Club. He received four senior caps for the Argentine national team.
Draper, meanwhile, brings extensive experience in MLS to the role of High Performance Director, previously spending over eight years with the Philadelphia Union. He most recently served as the Vice President of Player Health and Performance with the Union; his tenure with the club lasted nearly nine years, first joining in January 2014 as the Director of Sports Science for the Philadelphia Union Academy. Draper’s contributions to player health and performance were key to the Union’s success, notably including a strong 2022 season that saw the team finish as MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield runners-up.
Ceballos joins Inter Miami after a season with Atlanta United, in which he served as Opposition Analyst for Atlanta United 2 and Youth Programs Coach. He also brings previous experience as video scout for 360 scouting, Assistant Coach and Video Analyst for Life University, and Youth Soccer Coach for Cherokee Impact Soccer Association.
Inter Miami’s 2023 MLS regular season schedule was recently unveiled. Single-match tickets for the first half of the 2023 MLS regular season at DRV PNK Stadium are available now by visiting here. The only way fans can currently secure tickets for the second half of Inter Miami’s campaign is by purchasing Season Tickets, through which fans will receive tickets to 19 matches this season for the price of 17. To acquire one of the limited remaining 2023 Inter Miami CF Season Tickets, and for additional details on the exclusive benefits, visit here.
Inter Miami is also offering a Home Opener Package, where fans will receive tickets to three matches for the price of two. Details on the Home Opener Package are available here. Single-match tickets for the remaining regular season home matches will go on sale at a later date.
Inter Miami will officially kick off its six-week preseason training camp on Monday, Jan. 9. Fans will get a chance to see the team in action for the first time in 2023 when it hosts CR Vasco de Gama, one of Brazil’s most successful teams, at DRV PNK Stadium on Saturday, Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. ET. Tickets for the highly-acclaimed match are available **HERE**
