Battery Announce Complete Coaching Staff for 2023 Season

(L-R) Rensing, Veidman, Salley

By: Charleston Battery

The Charleston Battery announced Monday the assistant coaching staff to work alongside Head Coach Ben Pirmann. The staff includes assistant coaches Devin Rensing, Leigh Veidman and Brian Jones, and performance coach Eric Salley.

“We’re thrilled to have such a quality coaching staff this year, there’s a tremendous amount of experience in each of these fine individuals,” said Coach Pirmann. “They are selfless and hungry in their approach, and willing to improve each and every day. Our coaches not only have vast knowledge and experiences, but they also have a unique and wide-ranging set of skills to help push our players to develop. They will set the standards of what it means to wear the Charleston Battery crest.”

Rensing

Devin Rensing joins the Battery after serving in Coach Pirmann’s staff at Memphis 901 FC the previous two seasons. Rensing has amassed a wealth of coaching experience at the professional and collegiate levels, at home and abroad.

Prior to Memphis, Rensing compiled an 82-16-7 record as the men’s soccer head coach for the Stevens Institute of Technology and the California Institute of Technology, winning two coach of the year awards. The St. Louis native also held assistant coach positions with the men’s soccer programs of Loyola Chicago, Central Arkansas, Colgate and Northwestern in a career that’s spanned almost two decades. Rensing earned his master’s degree at Universidad Europea in Madrid while also serving as an international scout for MLS side Sporting Kansas City. He is bilingual in English and Spanish.

Veidman

Leigh Veidman arrives at the Charleston coaching staff after leading USL Championship club OKC Energy FC as their head coach in 2021. Veidman took over as interim head coach for OKC after a winless start to the season and helped turn them around, narrowly missing out on the USL Playoffs.

A native of Liverpool, England, Veidman has been one of the top coaches on the rise in the United States. Veidman held assistant coaching positions with Midland University Men’s Soccer, Des Moines Menace and Fresno FC since 2015 before joining OKC’s staff. Veidman compiled an 8W-8L-9D record as interim head coach, rejuvenating the club after an eight-game winless streak that preceded his tenure. He holds a USSF A License and a UEFA B License.

Jones

Brian Jones returns for his second season with the Battery after serving as the goalkeeper coach in 2022. Also a St. Louis native, Jones played professionally for Sint-Niklaas in Belgium, Olivais-Moscavide in Portugal, and the Kansas City Wizards of MLS.

Following his playing career, Jones spent seven years at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) as the goalkeeper coach and eventually co-head coach. With the Cougars, Jones mentored keeper John Berner to two conference goalkeeper of the year awards and a 35th overall selection in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft. Following his time with SIUE, Jones served as the goalkeeper coach for USL Championship side Saint Louis FC from 2015 to 2020.

Salley

Eric Salley joins the Battery to direct the squad’s sports performance, encompassing strength and conditioning, nutrition, injury prevention, and fitness.

Before making this move to the Lowcountry, Salley led Trinity Christian College’s men’s soccer program of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference as head coach from 2016 to 2022. Salley, a Homewood, Illinois native, previously held assistant coaching roles with Spring Arbor University and Lansing United before Trinity, where he aided in match tactics along with strength and conditioning. A former college player, he earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Taylor University, and has received certification as a strength and conditioning specialist.

The completed coaching staff has already begun preparations for the 2023 season and preseason practices are set to start on Wednesday, Feb. 1, at Patriots Point.

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us