After considering options nationwide for the current vacancy with the older boys age groups, Richmond United Boys are delighted to announce the hiring of Patrick Hughes to be the Head Coach for the U17 Boys and an Associate Head Coach for the U19 Boys. Patrick joins RU staff from the Richmond Strikers and is familiar to many of our members from his years of coaching Strikers Elite teams. A highly experienced youth coach, Patrick has been working full time in youth soccer since 2009, after graduating from Averett University where he played for four years, serving as team captain his senior year. Since then, Patrick has been involved in running youth soccer programs within several clubs across Virginia, most recently serving as the Director of Coaching for the Richmond Strikers South program, a position he will retain alongside his new coaching responsibilities with Richmond United. He holds a US Soccer A License, a USC Premier Diploma, Director of Coaching certifications from both US Soccer and the United Soccer Coaches, along with several accreditations in other aspects of the sport such as scouting and opposition analysis. Commenting on the hire, Richmond United Technical Director Mika Elovaara said: “As a club, we strive to provide the best opportunities for development and performance for players and coaches alike, and Patrick is yet another example of coaches in our community continuing on an ambitious and progressive path ascending to new positions. His knowledge of the modern game is very high, and his personal values align with our club core values. I’m excited to add Patrick to our staff.”

Reflecting on his transition from the Strikers to Richmond United, Hughes is eager to get started in his new role: “I am incredibly honored to join the Richmond United coaching staff, and I am both grateful for and humbled by this opportunity. The culture and high performance environment being built at the club have been evident since my first interactions with [Technical Director] Mika [Elovaara], the coaching staff, and the Richmond United players, and these were the driving forces behind my desire to pursue this new challenge in my coaching career. I am thankful to those who made this opportunity possible, and I am excited to get started and to meet all of the members of the Richmond United family very soon.”

Richmond United Boys are also excited to announce the addition of Conner Cappelletti to RU staff as a college recruiting advisor for the boys. A former college coach and Head Coach in the USL 2, Conner is currently an Assistant Coach with the Kickers pro team. As we continue to enhance our programming, he will add an immense network of college contacts and years of experience from the recruiting process to our RU community. With Cappelletti’s inclusion, the connections between RU Boys and the Richmond Kickers pro staff is further reinforced, to the benefit of all players. This staff addition, according to Elovaara, goes far beyond what has been done before: “Conner has already voluntarily stepped in and helped with coaching the boys teams here and there, and I am grateful and excited to be able to add his knowledge, enthusiasm and experience to our staff. He will get to know the players and serve as a tremendous asset to help each player develop as he guides their process for college search.”

Richmond United Boys will play their first 2023-2024 ECL league games on September 9, 2023.