Mississippi Brilla News Release - www.msbrillafc.org
Thursday, January 31, 2008
CLINTON, MS -- Mississippi Brilla FC has announced that Steve DeCou has been named Head Coach for the Premier Development League team’s second season.
“We are thrilled to welcome Steve DeCou as the new Head Coach of Mississippi Brilla FC. Steve is an outstanding coach, and, most importantly, he embodies the values and character that we want to impart to our players,” said Rusty Bryant, President and General Manager of Mississippi Brilla FC. “Steve’s soccer experience is hard to match and his commitment to the ministry of Brilla is exciting. Steve also has professional playing and coaching experience in the USL. We feel like his experience and character make him the perfect match for the position of Head Coach.”
DeCou fills the vacancy left by former Mississippi Brilla FC coach, Dave Dixon, who took another collegiate coaching position at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Dixon led Brilla FC to a 6-5-5 record in their inaugural year.
“We appreciate the job that Coach Dixon did for us last year, and wish him and his family the best in the future,” said Brilla’s Director of Soccer Operations, Scott Taylor. “We are confident that Coach DeCou will be what our team needs to get better as a club. After the success we had last year, I feel like the playoffs are well within our grasp.”
DeCou is currently the Head Men’s Soccer Coach at Belhaven College in Jackson, MS. Prior to Belhaven, DeCou served as head Men’s soccer coach at Trinity Christian College in Chicago, Illinois. While coaching at Trinity, DeCou led his team to capture the NCCAA North Central Region title and advance to the NCCAA National Championships. In 2005 DeCou was named the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.
While in Chicago, DeCou served as an assistant with the Chicago Gaels of the W-League and the Chicago Fire Premier of the PDL. During his two seasons with the Fire, DeCou worked with six Fire players that were drafted in the MLS superDraft.
DeCou is a 1995 graduate of Tennessee Temple University with a degree in physical education. He has a master's degree in sports medicine at the United States Sports Academy.
After college he played for two seasons for the Chattanooga Express of the USL as well as entered the coaching profession. His coaching credentials include the USSF "A" Coaching License, the NSCAA Advanced National Diploma, and the NSCAA Level I Goalkeeping Diploma. DeCou and his wife, Amy, have one daughter, Sadie.
