Boys Coaches
Ben Morey
Coach Morey has been coaching and training players since 2002. His coaching philosophy is centered on individual player development to build technical and tactical foundations that yield winning results for his teams. Coach Ben is an avid proponent of futsal and includes futsal training into his soccer curriculum during the winter to further strengthen players’ abilities on and off the ball. Coach Ben has developed ECNL and high-level players looking to take their talent to the collegiate level. His teams have competed in top flights of premier-level tournaments. Of note: his teams were Maryland State Cup Champions and four-time finalists, Futsal National Finalist, Futsal Regional Champions, and Bethesda Tournament Champions.
Coach Morey graduated from SUNY@Cortland and was All-Region and All-Conference as a midfielder. Ben has a U.S.S.F D license.
Connor Klekota
U16 and U17 Boys Academy Assistant Coach
Coach Klekota will be joining the BSC program for the 2022-2023 fall season, assisting our MLSNext Program as they begin to play in the MLS Developmental League.
Connor has a long history of working at the highest levels in college soccer. He is currently an Assistant Coach at American University.
Connor Klekota led the Hoyas to the NCAA Championship in his second season on the Hilltop. He came to GU from Bucknell University where he was a graduate assistant for two seasons.
In 2019, the Hoyas had a historic run winning the national championship with a 3-3 victory over Virginia that was decided in penalty kicks, 7-6. GU finished the year with a mark of 20-1-3 which set the program record for wins in a season. Georgetown also boasted the program’s first three-peat, winning the BIG EAST Championship for the third consecutive year in a 3-1 victory over Providence College at Shaw Field. It was just the second time in program history that the squad has won both the regular season and the championship in the same year.
Individually, the Hoyas had three All-Americans for the first time in program history as well as five players named All-East Region. Additionally, senior Dylan Nealis was the second MAC Hermann Trophy finalist in program history. He along, with Achara was both MLS First Round Draft selections. In league play, the Blue & Gray won three of the major awards and had six All-BIG EAST selections. The coaching staff was also named the Division I National Coaching Staff of the Year by the United Soccer Coaches.
In his time at Georgetown, the team has won two BIG EAST Championships and had three NCAA Tournament berths including the title in 2019. He has coached six All-Americans, 14 All-East Region players, seven BIG EAST major award winners, 21 All-BIG EAST selections, and nine MLS draft pick or Premier League signees. Additionally, the coaching staff has earned league, region, and national coach of the year honors.
In his two seasons with the Bison, Klekota coached three United Soccer Coaches All-Region honorees as well as five All-Patriot League players as the team appeared in a pair of Patriot League postseason tournaments. He also coached at the Bison Summer Camps as well as a number of other camps throughout the country.
Klekota was a Dean’s List and ACC Academic Honor Roll honoree while playing soccer at Notre Dame from 2011-15. He appeared in 66 games, including 50 starts in his career. In 2013, the midfielder started in 14 contests, helping the Fighting Irish capture the NCAA championship. He helped Notre Dame win the ACC regular-season title in 2014 and was an ACC All-Tournament Team selection in 2015 as a senior captain.
The Amherst, Ohio native served as a peer facilitator for the Rosenthal Leadership Academy at Notre Dame, where he was a group leader during leadership workshops throughout the year. He also interned in Notre Dame’s Office of Student Welfare & Development, helping with leadership and teamwork techniques.
Klekota was a three-time Notre Dame monogram winner, and a two-time Francis O’Connor Award recipient, given to a student-athlete who best represents the spirit of Notre Dame. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in management consulting in 2015.
He graduated from Bucknell in 2021 with a Master’s of Science in education with a concentration in college student personnel. Klekota resides in Washington, D.C.
Bob Jenkins
Jenkins is currently Head of Coach Development for Bethesda Soccer Club. Prior to Bethesda, Jenkins served in a variety of roles with the US Soccer Federation.
A former member of U.S. Soccer’s National coaching staff, Jenkins began as an assistant coach for the U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team. In 2002, he became a National Staff Coach (Region I), and in 2004 he was named head coach of the Under-18 MNT.
In early 2005, Bob Jenkins was named U.S. Soccer’s Director of Coaching Education and Youth Development. As the Director of Coaching Education and Youth Development, Jenkins was charged with creating a consistent philosophy in National Education Programs and communicating player development concepts and positions. Jenkins was responsible for the oversight of U.S. Soccer’s coaching curriculum and guides all aspects of coaching education, as well as oversaw National Staff Coaches on technical matters. He also served a key role in the creation of U.S. Soccer’s Development Academy.
In 2008, Jenkins was named the Director of Coaching and Player Development for Richmond Strikers. In addition, Jenkins was a Puma/Arsenal TCC Elite coordinator in 2016, which saw him scouting for the best youth across the United States and coordinate and perform coaching education sessions at all Puma-sponsored clubs.
Before coming to U.S. Soccer, Jenkins served as the head coach at American University from 1992-1999, helping the Eagles become a force in the Patriot League. In 1997, Jenkins led the Eagles to a No. 5 national ranking and the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championship.
Jenkins was also an assistant at Virginia from 1989-1991 with former U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bruce Arena. Bob was a four-year starter from 1980-1984 at Duke University.
Jenkins holds a USSF ‘A ‘License and National Youth License.
Mani Santos
Bethesda SC Head Coach
About Mani
Coach Mani played professionally in Brazil as well as college and professional soccer in the United States. Mani has coached professional teams overseas in Asia and also in Brazil. He transitioned to coaching youth teams in 1999, working previously with Bethesda and also Herndon Youth Youth Soccer. He holds a Master‘s Degree from Rice University as well as National Coaching Licenses from Brazil, England, and the USA.
Email: msantos@bethesdasoccer.org
Bruce Murray
Bethesda SC – Chief Scout
About Bruce Bruce Murray is the chief scout for both the boy’s and girl’s programs.
Murray was the all-time leader in both caps and goals for the United States National Team before being overtaken in the mid-1990s by Marcelo Balboa in caps and Eric Wynalda in goals. Between his first national team appearance in 1985 and his last in 1993, he played 85 full international games, in which he scored 21 goals.
Murray played in all of the United States’ games in the 1990 World Cup, including the 10 qualifiers in 1988 and 1989 and the three games in the finals in Italy in 1990. He scored the United States’ goal against Austria in the World Cup finals. He also played in all of the United States’ games in its victorious effort in the 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup, as well as playing for the United States in the 1988 Olympic Games, the 1992 Intercontinental Cup, and the 1993 Copa America. Murray was also a member of the US Futsal National Team, which placed third, in the 1989 Futsal World Cup.
Murray also had brief spells with first-division Luzerne in Switzerland and with Millwall in England before returning stateside to play professionally with the Atlanta Ruckus.
In addition, Murray won two National Championships in 1984/1987 with Clemson University, won the Herman Trophy for Best College Soccer Player, and was inducted into the Clemson University Hall of Fame in 1993.
Murray was inducted into the US Soccer Hall of Fame in 2011.
Eric Cava
Bethesda SC Head Coach
About Eric:
Eric is currently the Head Coach of the Gaithersburg Varsity Boys High School soccer team where in 2019 he was named the MFHS Coach of the Year. In addition, his side were the 2018 MCPS 4A Western Division Champions, going 13-1-1. In addition to his experience at Gaithersburg, Eric has previously coached the Church Hill Junior Varsity High School, Boys U15 Maryland ODP Head Coach, and Girls U13 Maryland ODP Head Coach. At the club level, he coached at Potomac Soccer from 2010-2021,
As a player, Eric played four years of college soccer at Clemson University where he played in 74 matches. He also participated in numerous Olympic Development Program camps in England, Italy, and Belgium. He played club soccer with FC Delco Crunch and was a member of the 2006 side that won the Pennsylvania State Cup. He currently holds a USSF National ‘C’ Coaches License.
Email: ecava@bethesdasoccer.org
Paul Dowell
Bethesda SC Head Coach
About Paul: Coach Dowell joined the BSC program in the spring of 2021, coaching in the boys YDP program. Before joining Bethesda, Paul served as the Girls Varsity Head Coach at Gaithersburg High School for eight years and as the Girls Junior Varsity Head Coach at Sherwood High School for four years. He has also coached at BSC Academy Coach Kert Mease’s Golden Goal Academy for the past 15 years. As a player, he was a four-year starter at Frostburg State University. Paul has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and Teaching from Frostburg and a Master’s Degree in Educational/Instructional Training at Johns Hopkins University.
Email: pdowell@bethesdasoccer.org
Mike Montross
U16 and U17 Boys Academy Assistant Coach
Coach Montross will be joining the BSC program for the 2020-2021 fall season, assisting our Academy Program as they begin play in the MLS Developmental League.
Mike has a lengthy history working at the highest levels in college soccer. He is currently an Assistant Coach at American University.
In his first season at American, Montross oversaw a rebuilding team that picked up three Patriot League wins and was competitive in every other league contest. He coached one Academic All-Patriot League player (Tim Neumann) and a league-best 20 members of the PL Academic Honor Roll in 2019.
At Villanova, Montross was promoted from an assistant coach to associate head coach during his four seasons. He helped with all aspects of the program including recruiting, practice planning, video analysis, player development as well as academic success. During the 2016 season, the Wildcats appeared in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history and finished the season with their highest RPI. On the recruiting trails, Montross was part of the first two (2016, 2017) top-20 ranked classes in program history.
Additionally, he coached and helped develop multiple award winners on and off the field. This included six players named to the All-Big East teams, three named to the All-Big East Freshman team, and three players named to the NSCAA/United Soccer Coaches All Region Team as well as multiple All Big East academic award recipients.
No stranger to the Patriot League, Montross spent two seasons at Lehigh (2013-14) where he helped the Mountain Hawks make the second highest RPI jump of any Division I program (from No. 187 to No. 78) and recorded double-digit victories for the first time since 2006. He coached and recruited multiple All-League players as well as academic award recipients. In 2014, five players were named to the Patriot League All-Conference teams, one player to the Academic All-Patriot League team, and one player to the NSCAA All Region Team. In both of his years at Lehigh, the team earned the NSCAA team academic award.
While at Georgetown, the Hoyas posted the most single-season wins (19) in program history and earned a Big East Blue Division championship while advancing to the Finals of the NCAA College Cup. That year, Steve Neumann was a MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist and earned College Cup Most Outstanding Offensive Player, while Brandon Allen was named the Big East Rookie of the Year as well as the national rookie of the year by a number of outlets. That unit also featured two All-Americans as well as six All-Big East honorees. Academically, Keon Parsa was honored with the Elite 89 Award, given to the student-athlete at the College Cup with the highest GPA.
Throughout his coaching career, Montross has worked with and prepared 18 student-athletes that signed professional contracts or were drafted by the MLS.
Montross is a 2011 graduate of Dickinson College, where he earned four varsity letters and and captained the team as a senior. He helped lead his team to its first two conference and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2007 and 2008 and was also on the Dean’s List. The native of Bethesda, Md., received a degree in international business and management and minored in Spanish.
Pierre Dyer
Bethesda SC Head Coach
About Pierre
Pierre joined the coaching staff in the 2021-2022 season. As a Bethesda Soccer Club player alum, Pierre went on to play DIII as a four-year starter at Swarthmore College. There, he won two conference championships and an ECAC championship and featured twice in the NCAA round of 16. He also played semi-professional soccer for NW London in England.
Pierre started coaching with two amateur teams in the Boston and London area before returning to DC and rejoining BSC as a coach.
Pierre obtained his coaching ‘B’ license. He has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the London Business School and a Bachelor’s in Economics from Swarthmore College.
Email: pdyer@bethesdasoccer.org
Jason Harris
Director of Scouting
Jason has spent the past two years coaching for the Largo High School Boys Varsity team. In his first season as Assistant Coach, his team made it to the 1A Regional Championship, and in his second season, as Head Coach, they advanced to the regional semifinals. Jason played his club soccer at numerous academies across Maryland but is proud to be Bethesda alumni as a member of the Bethesda Mavericks. In addition, he was a four-year varsity high school player at both St. Johns College High and Bowie High School.
Jason has primarily worked within the Youth Development Program and with our Soccer Juniors Clinic but will be coaching our U17 White team in 2020-2021. He currently holds a USSF National ‘D’ Coaches License and is currently working on his ‘C’ License for USSF and UEFA. He aims to continue his soccer education with the hope of coaching at the highest level or becoming a scout.
Email: jharris@bethesdasoccer.org