Welcome New Staff Fall 2020
Matt Mueller // Director of Coaching & Competition
matt.mueller@loufuszathletic.com
St. Louis Native, Matt Mueller, will be taking on the role of Director of Coaching and Competitions. Mueller attended Columbia College where he was an honorable mention All-America, All-Region, and All-American. In addition, he was an Academic All-American and graduated Magna Cum Laude. After graduating, Mueller returned to St. Louis where he began working for St. Louis Scott Gallagher Soccer Club. During his 13 years at SLSG, Mueller worked for the Missouri Boys and Girls Divisions in various roles and has worked in the STLFC Academy and SLSG Pre Academy divisions as a coach.
Mueller currently holds the United States Soccer Federation Director of Coaching License as well as the United States Soccer Federation A-License. He is very passionate about individual player development as well as how that relates to overall team and club development.
“The St. Louis Soccer Community has such a rich and storied tradition of soccer in this country. So many great players and teams have represented our community for years. I am so proud to be part of this community and to continue to help grow the game of soccer in the next generation of players and teams.”
Ren Herzog // Director of Juniors Development
ren.herzog@loufuszathletic.com
Ren Herzog will be joining Lou Fusz Athletic as the Director of Juniors. Herzog began his soccer career in the St. Louis Area, playing for various clubs including the former Busch Soccer Club. After graduating high school, Ren went on to play soccer at Missouri Baptist University, where he was an Academic All-American and graduated Summa Cum Laude.
Herzog’s passion for the game led him to St. Louis Scott Gallagher where he began his youth coaching career while still playing collegiate soccer. He was promoted to Missouri Boys Youth Director at SLSG in 2014, managing player identification, team placement, and specialty training. From 2014-2016, his focus was on establishing the technical foundation for all players within the program. In 2016, Herzog transitioned into the U10 & U11 age groups as a coach for the PreAcademy boys teams and have done that for the past four years. In addition to his extensive coaching background, Herzog holds a United States Soccer Federation 'C' License. Ren will bring a wealth of experience to these age groups in directing and building a technical foundation that will last a player their entire career.
“The St. Louis soccer community has such a rich tradition of producing great players and now has a future with an MLS team on the horizon in the city. Soccer is in the city’s blood, shown through the number of youth players in the city, as former players want their children to have the same experience they had growing up with the most beautiful game. The most gratifying thing about an opportunity like this is being able to watch players improve and seeing how that makes them feel. Having an impact on a player’s development while being able to instill a philosophy in an environment where players are excited and focused is what exhilarates me.”
Cal McKee // Director of Futures, Girls
cal.mckee@loufuszathletic.com
McKee has proven to be a tremendous asset to LFA since he joined the club in 2018. McKee grew up in St. Louis playing soccer for Scott Gallagher and Chaminade College Prep, where he took home a Missouri State Champions title. He added a West Coast Conference Champions title in 2010 at Santa Clara University and then went on to continue his playing career at Saint Louis University. After college, McKee stepped into the coaching world. In 2019 the LFA McKee 03 team claimed their 3rd consecutive State Cup championship and road that to the clubs first USYS National Championship. McKee will bring this leadership and direction to building our girls Futures groups.
Chris Gomez // Director of Juniors Blue Star, Boys
chris.gomez@loufuszathletic.com
Lou Fusz Alum, Chris Gomez, will be joining LFA as the Director of Blue Star, Boys. Gomez Grew up in St. Louis and played club soccer for Busch Soccer Club, Lou Fusz Soccer Club, and Saint Louis Scott Gallagher. After graduating from Slu High School, Gomez attended The Ohio State University, where he took home a Big Ten Championship and was named Senior Captain. Gomez went on to win a Super 20 National Championship, become a Four Time Scholar Athlete and graduate with a degree in Sports Management.
Gomez returned to his hometown after college and put his Sports Management degree to work at St. Louis Scott Gallagher. Throughout his 6 years at SLSG, he acted as the Boys Assistant Youth Director, coached in the Pre Academy and Administered Player Development Programs. Gomez currently holds his United States Soccer Federation D-License and plans to continue his coaching education.
“For a long time, St. Louis was considered the soccer capital of America. Now with the MLS coming to town and the various youth clubs in the area getting stronger, it’s exciting for our city to have a chance back into the national spotlight with some St. Louis talent. I am thrilled at the opportunity to help develop players on and off the pitch for the city of St. Louis and our country. I am very excited about the direction and vision of Lou Fusz Athletic. With this team, I believe we have the potential to accomplish our mission and then some.”
Wendy Dillinger // Director of Juniors Blue Star, Girls
wendy.dillinger@loufuszathletic.com
Wendy comes to LFA with 22 years of full-time college coaching experience at the NCAA Division I, II and III levels (Indiana, WashU, Iowa State, UMSL). The coaching trophy shelf boasts dozens of academic and community service awards, as well as Conference Championships, Coaching Staff of the Year awards, and NCAA Tournament appearances. Wendy’s playing career began with CYC (Seton) and ended in the first domestic women’s professional league (WUSA - Atlanta Beat) alongside Sun Wen, Homare Sawa, and Brianna Scurry. She holds a National Diploma and still holds career scoring records for goals and assists at Indiana University.
Her primary focus is on the development of the whole player- she encourages investment, hard work, and passion at home, in the classroom, and on the soccer field. Wendy’s philosophy, while technical in nature, is geared toward attacking the goal with fury. She expects all players to be involved in the attack as well as the defense.