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SANDY — Real Salt Lake has added former U.S. youth coach Richie Williams to the coaching staff, as first announced by the U.S. Soccer Federation on Wednesday.
Williams joins the club immediately to coach RSL's midfield corps. He joins fellow assistant coaches Daryl Shore (goalkeepers), Ted Eck (forwards) and Tyrone Marshall (defenders) on Jeff Cassar's staff.
"He's a well-rounded coach. He's been successful in MLS with D.C. winning championships and playing for the Metrostars. With the Red Bulls he was a good assistant and got good head coaching experience," Cassar said of Williams in a statement. "Now he's been part of the U-17 National Team for two cycles and he's very educated in the MLS players and he's very educated in the young college players and I think that's going to be a great asset to our organization."
Former midfielders coach Andy Williams, the only original player still with the club, moves back his front-office role as RSL's head scout, per the club's announcement.
Richie Williams, 45, was a dogged midfielder known as much for his sure tackling as his 5-foot-5 frame during a 13-year professional career that included stops at D.C. United and the New York/New Jersey MetroStars in MLS. He spent five seasons as an assistant coach at New York, then rebranded as the Red Bulls, including separate stints as interim head coach in 2006 and 2009.
Since 2011, Williams has worked within U.S. Soccer as a youth international coach, first with the boys' U-18 squad and most recently with the U-17s. U.S. Soccer announced former Philadelphia Union manager John Hackworth would take the head job over the U-17s, replacing Williams.
"We are thrilled to have John Hackworth on board to lead the U-17 Men's National Team," U.S. Soccer technical director Jurgen Klinsmann said in a statement from the federation. "John is highly respected within the U.S. Soccer community and has experience in all levels of the game, including MLS. He has a positive coaching approach and is great at building bridges.
"We want to thank Richie Williams for his tireless work and commitment to the program."
Williams scored 20 goals in 299 pro appearances, with 10 goals coming for the indoor Buffalo Blizzard of the now-defunct National Professional Soccer League in 1992-93.
