Coach Bios

Bob Montgomery - Director of Youth Programs
Bob Montgomery begins his second year as Director of Youth Programs after joining the Red Bulls on Sept. 1, 2007. In this role, Montgomery oversees the Red Bulls Player Development System, including RBNY's Academy and Grassroots Training Program. Prior to joining the Red Bulls, Montgomery was the head men's soccer coach at Adelphi University, where he led the Panthers for 29 seasons. Posting a 258-224-39 record, Montgomery guided a program that had consistently been in the top 25 in the country. He led seven of his teams to the NCAA tournament, and his 1987 squad advanced to the quarterfinals. Montgomery led the Panthers to their first Atlantic Soccer Conference regular season and tournament titles and received ASC Coach of the Year honors in 2006. He was named NSCAA Regional Coach of the Year in 1987 and 1990 and was selected NCSC Coach of the Year in 1995. Montgomery served as an Associate Athletic Director at Adelphi from 1989 until 2006, where he was responsible for compliance and eligibility for over 250 athletes. In addition to his duties at Adelphi, Montgomery has been an assistant coach for the U14 U.S. Men's National Team since 2000.

Montgomery who possesses a USSF "A" license was the 1990 New York State Coach of the Year and Adelphi University Athletic Hall of Fame member became involved with the U.S. Youth Soccer Association in 1985 and coached top players from ages ranging from 12 to 19 in Region I. He has also traveled as a coach to events all around the world.

Paul O'Donnell - U18 Head Coach
Paul O'Donnell has been a Red Bulls Academy Coach since 2002. Last season, O'Donnell guided the U18s to second place in the Mid-Atlantic Division of the United States Development Academy, losing to eventual national champion Baltimore Bays. Two players from the U18s were selected to the inaugural United States Development Academy Starting Eleven: Matt Kassel and Cesar Blacido. In 2007, he led the U20s to the Semifinals of the Super 20 North American Championship and the U18 squad was named Region I Premier League and New Jersey State Cup Champions. In 2006, as U17 coach, his team was the first Red Bulls Academy Team to win a New Jersey State Championship. In 2005, he led the U16s to a Super-Y League North American Championship which was the first National or North American Championship for the organization.

Aside from his duties with the Red Bulls, O'Donnell was an assistant coach at Iona College from 2003-05. He joined Iona after spending eight years as the head soccer coach at Kinnelon High School in New Jersey. O'Donnell, who possesses a USSF "A" License, is a 1995 graduate of Columbia University, where he was a four-year varsity letterman and three-time All Ivy selection for the Lions. After college, O'Donnell spent a brief stint in his native Scotland with Greenock Morton FC of the Scottish First Division and also played for the North Jersey Imperials of the United Soccer League for five seasons.

Rob Elliott - U16 Head Coach
A native of Middletown, N.J., Rob Elliott joined the Red Bulls Academy in March 2008, leading the U20s to the North American Super 20 Finals. Prior to Joining the Red Bulls, Elliott was the assistant coach at Virginia Commonwealth University for four years. During his time at VCU, Elliott helped the Rams reach the NCAA Quarterfinal and a final NSCAA National Ranking of seven. Five VCU Players were named All-Americans during Elliott's tenure. Prior to VCU, Elliott was the assistant for six seasons at his alma mater, Cornell University. He was also the head coach of the U14 Region I Olympic Development Program for the past five years and is the founder and former director of coaching of TC United Premier Soccer Club in Ithaca, N.Y.

A 1997 graduate of Cornell with a Bachelor of Science degree in natural resources, Elliott was named to the 1996 National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Umbro Division I Men's All-America Second Team. He was a two-time First-Team All-New York State selection and set a school record with 18 career assists. The Big Red was 27-6-3 during his final two seasons, the best two-year span in school history. Cornell appeared in the NCAA Tournament in each of those two seasons, going 15-2-1 in 1995 with an Ivy League championship, and 12-4-2 in 1996.

Elliott was with the North Jersey Imperials of the United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues from 1997-98.

Stan Lembryk - U15 Head Coach
Stan Lembryk has been a coach in the Red Bulls development system since 2001. Most recently he was the head coach of the Red Bulls U16 squad in 2007 and led the young Red Bulls to the championship match of the USL Super-Y League Finals in Florida and a successful showing in the Mundialito De Futebol Sub 17 in Spain. He has a USSF "A" License, and has served on the State Staff for both New Jersey and Florida ODP. The Clifton, N.J. native was captain and a four year letterman at Loyola College.

Lembryk played in the American Professional Soccer League with the Maryland Bays, and later under former MLS and current U.S. U20 coach Thomas Rongen for the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers. While playing in the USISL, he earned a call up to the 1996 MetroStars under Carlos Queiroz. Lembryk returned to Clifton H.S. as the girls' varsity team's head coach and led the program to its first league, county, and state championships, earning the Newark Star-Ledger 2001 State Coach of the Year honors.

Cris Da Silva - U14 Head Coach
Cris Da Silva, an original member of the New York MetroStars, played defensive midfielder for the club from 1996-98, appearing in 37 matches, making 21 starts and recording one assist. An accomplished coach at every amateur level, da Silva serves as the head coach at New Jersey City University, and has guided Saint Joseph Regional High School as well as numerous youth teams to highly successful seasons during his coaching tenure.

Da Silva, who possesses a United States Soccer Federation National "A" License, has worked with the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) as the head coach of the Region 1 Olympic Development Program (ODP) 1992 Boys team since 2004. He has also served as head coach of the New Jersey Minority Program for the USSF since 1997, and has held the title of Director of Youth Coaching for the American Soccer Club since 2000.

Andrew Sparkes - Academy Goalkeeper Coach
Andrew Sparkes enters his first season as the Red Bulls Academy Full-Time Goalkeeper coach. Last season Sparkes coached the Academy Goalkeepers part-time while heading up the Red Bulls pre-academy goalkeeper program (RDS). He has the top two goalkeeping licenses in the United States; the USSF National Goalkeeper License and the NSCAA Advanced National Goalkeeping Diploma, as well as his UEFA "B" Goalkeeper License. Sparkes has also served as the Super Y National ODP Goalkeeper coach for the last two years.

As a player, the Wales native played for his hometown club, Swansea City, at the youth and reserve team level and also represented his country as various youth levels before moving into the coaching ranks at the Swans, overseeing the goalkeepers in the youth academy. Sparkes has also trained with Red Bulls First Team for the last two seasons.

Antonio Meza - Conditioning Coach
Antonio Meza has been a Red Bulls Player Development Coach since 2002 and has been involved in different coaching roles with the program. Last season, he coached the U16s in the United States Development Academy, finishing up in the top three teams of the conference. Two players, Dylan Mencia and Sacir Hot earned all conference team honors and also got called up to the U18 national pool. Oscar Gonzalez got called up to the U15 national pool.

Meza was a former Academy coach of Universidad's Catolica, Co-Director and Technical Coordinator of Colo-Colo, conditioning coach of professional teams in Chile and Director of Player Development at Nichidai Yagamata Academy in Japan. Meza holds a FIFA "A" license from the Chilean National Soccer Federation and a "B" License of the United States Soccer Federation.

Meza also earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education with mention in methodology of training, strength and conditioning certification from the Chilean National Conditioning Association.