Amidst all the madness of the 2018 World Cup, something Canadian soccer fans may have missed was the hiring of FC Edmonton’s new head coach. The organization is set to start out in the new Canadian Premier League in the spring of 2019, and on July 3rd, 2018, FC Edmonton Academy coach Jeff Paulus was announced as the head coach for the new CPL team.
Comment from the New Coach
We asked new #FCEd head coach Jeff Paulus what the #CanPL will mean for #yeg players. He’s got high aspirations for local players! pic.twitter.com/IdAGWGXvKT
— FC Edmonton (@FCEdmontonNow) July 4, 2020
Paulus has been involved with the team since 2011, and is currently working as the technical director of the organization’s youth academy. He also coached the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology Ooks to a national title and three Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference titles.
Paulus’ experience and tenure with the team made him a fantastic choice. His fundamentals and a strong academy program will build a lasting foundation for success. Paulus will also have insight towards the academy players that he would like to bring up to the first team. His coaching resume is solid and knows how to develop a winning team.
With Paulus in charge, the plan for FC Edmonton will look to build a young squad. Combined with the academy and a brand new league there is a bright future for young players growing up in Edmonton and Alberta.
Now is the time to enjoy all the stars on TV with the World Cup in Russia. Here in Canada, we have eight years to prepare for the most prestigious tournament to be played on our soil. With Edmonton set to one of the hosts of the tournament, we could see some of the players that started out in Edmonton playing in their home town at the 2026 World Cup. With a coach like Jeff Paulus in charge of FC Edmonton, the club has began to pave the way for more local youth players to make the national level.