December 12, 2023 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – Bay FC News Release
San Francisco – Bay FC, the Bay Area’s new women’s professional soccer franchise in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), has made significant hires to build out its operations team, bringing on Technical Director Matt Potter, Medical Director Stacey Hardin, Performance Director Max Lankheit, Scouting Director Austin Buchanan, Football Operations Director Andrew Loomis, and Data and Analytics Director Arielle Dror.
“Our team is only as strong as our people, and we are committed to bringing the best talent on board to Bay FC, so our athletes have every opportunity and resource needed to be their best on and off the field,” said Lucy Rushton, General Manager of Bay FC. “Stacey, Max, Austin, Arielle, and Andrew and Matt are experienced leaders in their respective fields and essential to the success of the world-class club we are building.”
Potter will work closely with Rushton and Montoya to provide expert support across all areas of soccer operations with a strong focus on scouting and player development. He will help establish practices and processes inside the department, while also working on broader club projects and initiatives. He joins Bay FC after serving as the head coach of the Kansas City Current (2022-23). During his tenure, Potter guided the Current to the NWSL Championship game in 2022. Prior to his time with Kansas City, Potter was an assistant coach with the U.S. Women’s National Team and the head coach for the U.S. U-23 Women’s National Team. He served as a scout for the USWNT during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, while also gaining experience as a scout for the U.S. coaches at tournaments in Asia and Europe on the senior and youth levels. Before working with U.S. Soccer, Potter was a head coach at Washington State (2003-11) and the University of Oklahoma (2011-19). A native of Mere, England, Potter holds a USSF Pro license, USSF Talent Scout license and United Soccer Coaches Premier License.
Hardin brings over a decade of elite sports experience to Bay FC, most recently with Major League Soccer’s (MLS) Minnesota United FC, serving as the league’s first female senior director of player health and performance. During her time with the Loons, she held various roles, including head athletic trainer, senior director of player health and performance and player health and performance consultant for the team. Hardin will be tasked with ensuring Bay FC…