February 14, 2023 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Houston Dynamo FC News Release
HOUSTON – Houston Dynamo Football Club announced today the reorganization of the club’s player pathway designed to develop more professional players from the Houston community.
“This is an exciting day for the Houston soccer community, as we improve the opportunities for local kids to play professional soccer in their hometown,” said Dynamo general manager Pat Onstad. “Nick Kowba is an experienced executive in our club with a good understanding of the Houston landscape. He will ensure these new programs effectively connect our academy to our professional teams, including our new UPSL team, our MLS NEXT Pro team and our first team.”
Nick Kowba, the assistant general manager, will oversee the entire pathway, including the Dynamo Academy, a new Houston Dynamo UPSL team and the affiliate in MLS NEXT Pro, Houston Dynamo 2.
Kowba joined the organization as part of the transition from San Jose, Calif. to Houston in 2006 as a team administrator. He managed the soccer and administrative operations for the back-to-back MLS Cup champions in 2006, 2007 and was recognized by the league as the Team Manager of the Year for three consecutive years from 2007-2009. He was promoted to director of soccer operations in 2011 and named assistant general manager three years later. In that time the club navigated a hybrid affiliation with the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros in the USL and launched the U-23 team in 2021 that transitioned to Houston Dynamo 2. The Dynamo signed 12 players from RGV FC to the first team and more recently, the newly created MLS NEXT Pro affiliate served as a platform for Homegrown players like Beto Avila, Juan Castilla, Brooklyn Raines and Xavier Valdez.
“I am privileged to witness the evolution of the Dynamo from a single team to an entire club and I am excited to see the progress continue as we redefine the pathway for the next generation of professional soccer players from Houston,” Kowba said. “We are one of the few clubs in North America where four teams can train, collaborate and push each other in the same facility on a daily basis each morning. The opportunity for our young players to move easily from our U-17 trainings to opportunities with our professional teams will accelerate their development and better prepare them for their future professional or collegiate soccer careers.”
As part of the reorganization, Tony Vigil has been promoted to the newly created position…
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