AFC Ann Arbor are pleased to announce the joining of Adrian Motta to the women’s coaching staff ahead of the 2020 season. Previously a player for the men’s side, Adrian is a well-regarded and respected player and coach. In line with his career in net and other coaching commitments, he will be deputized with the coaching of the goalkeepers.
In addition to Motta’s experience with the club previously, he has other high-level experience as a player. A graduate of Madonna, he played a season with F.C. Sparta (now Michigan Stars) before spending two seasons playing in Portugal. Last season he spent the club season playing for the Michigan Jaguars in their inaugural UPSL season. He brings a wealth of playing experience in the state of Michigan as well as valuable insight from his time overseas.
As a coach, Motta has coached on both the club and university level. He has spent time at Schoolcraft and Concordia (coaching AFCAA keeper Spencer Ward) as the men’s teams’ goalkeeping coach. In addition, he has served as a goalkeeping coach for the Michigan Olympic Development Program since 2016 and also serves as the Jaguars’ director of goalkeeping as well as a head coach for youth developmental teams with the club.
In talking about his return, Motta said, “I’m excited to be back at the club, I’m really looking forward to working with Boyzzz.” Motta spoke of his love of coaching as well noting it being a lot of fun to coach at the youth level. He also mentioned while talking about new challenges that, “The league and level is much different from anywhere I have coached” in reference to the high standard of play UWS provides.
For women’s head coach Boyzzz Khumalo, that knowledge and dedication to the club as a member of the roster was a driving force behind bringing him in. “I picked Adrian because he is someone familiar with the club,” Boyzzz said. “He was a guy who was committed in coming to training and learning from coach Jeff Shuk.” With Shuk in the fold as the men’s goalkeepers’ coach, he is a valuable source of knowledge that Motta and Khumalo both have learned from and can continue to learn from.
For Motta, this is a chance to help not just players grow but also an opportunity for self-development. “This is a learning experience for me, and I am excited,” he said. When talking about what he looks most forward to, Motta said, “I’m really excited to get back on the field with AFC and meet some new players and staff.” The Mighty Oak are looking forward to welcoming Adrian back into the fold of the club.