Oliver Weiss hired as US Development Academy Director for Birmingham United

Former Virginia Tech coach and North Carolina assistant will lead Academy teams

Former Virginia Tech coach and North Carolina assistant will lead Academy teams

Oliver Weiss, 44, has joined Birmingham United Soccer Association as the US Development Academy Director. He will serve as the Head Coach for BUSA’s U18 and U16 US Development Academy boy’s teams, as well as work with the U15 and U14 Pre Academy Teams. With over 20 years of experience coaching at the youth, high school, and college level, Weiss will be responsible for managing, directing, and coaching over 60 players within the Academy structure at BUSA.

“I am excited to be joining Birmingham United. The club and it's Academy Program, and the Birmingham community have done a tremendous job of developing soccer in Alabama. I am looking forward to the challenge to further this growth as well as building on the club’s recent successes.”

Weiss comes from Chapel Hill, NC, where he coached CASL Elite youth teams for the past year. Prior to CASL, Weiss led the Virginia Tech men’s soccer team from 2002-2009 to unprecedented heights. He took the team to four NCAA tournaments, including a Final Four appearance in 2007. Before Virginia Tech, Weiss was an assistant coach at UNC Chapel Hill and helped the Tar Heels win an Atlantic Coast Conference Championship in 2000 and a National Championship in 2001. Prior to UNC, he assisted at the College of William & Mary in Virginia (1996-1999) and the University of New Hampshire (1995) capping 14 years in collegiate soccer. Weiss got his coaching start in 1988 when he led teams from the Richmond Strikers and Richmond Capitals Soccer Clubs while amassing 8 state championships (1988-95), one Region 1 Championship (1995) as well as 4^th place at the USYSA National Championship.

Jay Howell, BUSA’s new Executive Director/Director of Coaching is excited about his new staff member:

“Oliver has an incredible record of developing players and teams that can compete and win at the highest levels. This is a fantastic hire for BUSA and our membership. We have secured one of the best soccer coaches and top soccer minds in the US.”

A 1988 graduate of the University of Richmond, Weiss and Howell played together on the Spider's soccer team in the late 1980’s. Weiss captained the squad for three of his four years, earned All-Conference honors twice and All-Region accolades once. A former North Carolina High School Player-of-the-Year and NSCAA High School All-American at Central High School in High Point, NC, Weiss came to the US from Germany after his junior year in 1983. He also holds a US Soccer A-Coaching License and will be joined in Birmingham by his wife and two young children.