This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Oceanside, Calif. • Finally at their hotel a block from the beach following a seven-hour excursion to Mexico, all but two Real Salt Lake players, coaches and staff members hightailed it to the comfort of their rooms.
In the lobby of the SpringHill Suites, Richie Williams and Luke Mulholland sparked up a conversation about the state of the English Premier League, of Mulholland's beloved Liverpool FC and the demise of defending champions Chelsea in 2015-16.
Yeah, seems the new guy is fitting in well.
Hired by RSL as an assistant coach on Dec. 28, the 45-year-old Williams returns to Major League Soccer after spending the past four years as head coach of the U-18 and U-17 U.S. youth national teams.
In the first portion of RSL's four-week training camp north of San Diego, Williams was able to forget about the MLS SuperDraft combine and scouting, and actually lace up the cleats and get to adjusting into his new role as the new midfielders coach at RSL. Entering this offseason, general manager Craig Waibel and coach Jeff Cassar set out to strengthen every part of the roster, including the coaching staff.
Snagging Williams was a high priority, they said. But the deal took time.
RSL reached out while Williams was still under contract with U.S. Soccer. Despite the struggles at the 2015 U-17 World Cup in Chile, Williams said he signed a contract to continue with U.S. Soccer. Eventually RSL came calling. Having coached as an assistant coach and as an interim head coach in MLS six years prior to joining U.S. Soccer, Williams said he felt the time had come to change things up.
"I felt like I wanted to get back into MLS if it was the right opportunity," he said.
After weeks of discussion, Williams said RSL was the fit he wanted. The Middletown, N.J. native spent eight seasons in MLS as a player and coach. Part of the D.C. United dynasty under Bruce Arena in the mid- to late-1990s, Williams won three MLS Cup trophies. Once his playing days ended, Williams transitioned to coaching at the University of Virginia and later with the New York Red Bulls organization.
He's coached under current or former international coaches Arena, Bob Bradley, Hans Backe and Juan Carlos Osorio.
"I'm always a normal guy, so I can relate to our players, especially in our league because I played in the league," he said. "I can relate to the old players, younger players, players with MLS experience and national team experience. I think the players can trust me."
The move to RSL came with some unknowns. Williams had spent all of five days in Utah — all during his coaching days in MLS — before deciding to change his coaching arc. The most memorable visit? The 2008 conference final at Rio Tinto Stadium when the Red Bulls took a lead and then held on before advancing to MLS Cup.
"A pretty wild game," he said, smiling. "We scored early and bunkered in. RSL had all the play."
Mulholland has known Williams all of two weeks. But the third-year RSL midfielder is enjoying his time getting to know his new position coach.
"He definitely knows what he's talking about, emphasizing short and sharp sessions," Mulholland said. "So far, I've been enjoying the sessions, the passing, the building up to the final third. He does well in communications to you letting you know what he wants. Getting forward to having a different midfield coach to work with this year to keep things lively for me."
By his own admission, Williams is an even-keeled guy. His definition of keeping things lively is getting the most out of a talented midfield he's now in charge of leading.
"It was an opportunity that I felt would be good, that I could come in, be good for my career and also come in and help RSL in any way I could," he said.
Twitter: @chriskamrani —
About Richie Williams
Age • 45
Position • Assistant coach, midfielders
Hometown • Middletown, N.J.
Pro career • D.C. United (1996-2000, 2002), MetroStars (2001, 2003). Played in 216 career regular-season matches; had two goals and four assists in 26 MLS playoff appearances.
Coaching career • U.S. U-18s (2011), U.S. U-17s (2012-2015), New York Red Bulls assistant (2006-2011), Red Bulls interim head coach (2006, 2009).
Accolades • Won three MLS Cup titles as a player with D.C. United (1996, 1997, 1999), two Supporters' Shield titles (1997, 1999), one U.S. Open Cup (1996) and the CONCACAF Champions' Cup (1998).