Football Careers continues support of the USL Pro Residency Program
- Part of USL Forward, the program helps promising candidates from underrepresented backgrounds transition into technical staff roles
- Football Careers will lead a workshop with participants on 25 June, focusing on resume creation and interview preparation
Football Careers is delighted to provide ongoing career support to participants of the USL Pro Residency Program.
The USL Pro Residency Program creates opportunities for high-potential candidates from underrepresented backgrounds to help them transition into technical staff roles. This initiative is part of USL Forward, the USL’s signature coaching development initiative.
Participants — known as Resident Coaches — work under a head coach’s mentorship for two to four weeks. During this time, they establish and follow Individual Development Plans (IDPs) while gaining invaluable experience in a professional soccer environment.
After the on-site residency, Resident Coaches attend monthly professional development sessions directed by USL staff, and they will also have the opportunity to visit USL headquarters to meet with league executives and present their professional portfolios. The sessions are underpinned by a bespoke curriculum, with Resident Coaches creating and presenting a capstone project at the end of the program.
As part of our commitment to supporting Resident Coaches, Football Careers will lead a workshop focused on creating a standout resume and navigating interviews for professional soccer roles with confidence. The workshop will take place on 25 June 2026.
Now in its third year, the USL Pro Residency Program has expanded and is welcoming its largest number of participants to date.
The seven coaches forming the 2026 cohort bring scouting and coaching experience across collegiate programs and pre-professional leagues, including USL League Two, USL W League, and USL Academy. Two of these coaches are recently retired players, who have been selected as part of a wider initiative to improve pathways to coaching for those who want to stay in soccer.
Liam O’Connell, USL Technical Director – Men’s Pathway, commented:
“We’re incredibly excited to work again with the team at Football Careers to enhance the learning and development experience for our 2026 cohort of the Pro Residency Program. All of our participants have ambitions to further their coaching careers in the professional game, and having partners like Football Careers will help set them up for future success by guiding them on how to take the next steps and seek opportunities for advancement in the industry.”
We’re honored to continue working with the USL on its Pro Residency Program, and we look forward to supporting this season’s cohort as they progress in their careers.
