Panama City Pirates News Release - www.panamacitypirates.com
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
PANAMA CITY, FL -- The Panama City Pirates announced today that Bill Elliott has been selected as the first head coach of the men’s PDL team for the 2008 season.
Elliott is currently the men's head coach for the University of West Florida men’s soccer team and is one of the top 20 coaches in the NCAA in terms of winning percentage and career wins.
“We are thrilled to have Bill and his wife Chrissy joining our organization,” said Pirates’ owner Laird Hitchcock. “Who would have thought that we would begin our first season with a coach of his caliber and experience?"
Coach Elliott has been a part of UWF for 13 years and will continue his head coaching duties for the Argonauts during the college season. He is the only coach in Gulf South Conference history to take both a women’s and a men’s team to the tournament and bring home both the men’s and women’s titles. Coach Elliott has won (7) GCS Coach of the Year awards and (4) South Region Coach of the Year awards. Raised in Chattanooga, TN, Bill Elliott played NCAA D-1 soccer and went on to play in USL as a member of the 1993-94 National Indoor Runner-up Chattanooga Express. Elliott was also a player/coach in the USL Division II for the Mobile Revelers and the Pensacola Barracudas. Elliott holds the NSCAA Advanced National Diploma and a USSF “A” License.
When Coach Elliott was asked, What interests you about the USL and the Pirates organization and where does this fit in with your career goals, he replied: “I am excited about the idea of spending some time in a wonderful community like Panama City and having a chance to work with the most elite college players in the country. The PDL branch of the USL is a proving ground for future professional players in this country. By coaching the Pirates, I feel I can broaden my coaching horizons and hopefully achieve an even higher level of insight to soccer myself.”
The Pirates also have announced Dan Lewis as assistant coach of the team. Coach Lewis is currently the Director of Soccer for Renegade Sports Center (the parent company of the Panama City Pirates) and has an extensive soccer background as a player and as a coach. Aside from playing semi-pro soccer for the Mobile Revelers and the Savannah Rugrats, Coach Lewis has over 12 years of coaching experience and holds a National “C” License.
“We are privileged not only to have two highly qualified coaches who can relate to players and coaches at that elite level, but also two very likable guys who are well respected in the community.” said General Manager Carey Turner. “Aside from experience, both coaches bring a passion and enthusiasm that embodies what we want the Pirates organization to represent.”
Both coaches will begin their official duties in the near future as the Pirates are holding open tryouts scheduled for January 26th, February 16th and March 8th.
Aside from the PDL team, the Pirates organization is also starting a youth recreational program that will begin this coming spring.
“Our goal is to develop a youth program that falls under the Pirates umbrella, develops players at a grassroots level and is a natural fan-base for the men’s team. Long term we would like to look at developing a more competitive program and play in the USL’s (United Soccer Leagues) Super Y-League program,” said Turner.
The youth program will take place at Kinsaul Park in Lynn Haven and will host U16s, U14s, U12s and U10s.
Panama City Pirates season tickets will go on sale starting mid February; full season packages and “flexpasses” starting at $30. For more information regarding this, player tryouts or the upcoming season, visit www.panamacitypirates or call 850.248.HOOK(4665).
