TORONTO - George Brown is pleased to announce the appointment of Leslie Fitzpatrick as women's soccer head coach.
"Leslie's high performance coaching and playing background make him a great addition to our program," said George Brown Manager of Athletics Melanie Gerin-Lajoie. "He brings a high level of energy to the field, which will also transfer off-field in a recruiting capacity. We're in a bit of a rebuilding stage with women's soccer, and think we've found the perfect person to take the program now to that next level."
Fitzpatrick arrives having spent five the past five years with Toronto Skillz FC of League 1, holding the title of general manager/technical director for all five seasons and head coach for the past two. In his two seasons as bench boss Fitzpatrick oversaw the transfer of three players to professional teams in Portugal and Sweden while placing 10 academy developed players into universities and colleges throughout NCAA Division I, Division II and U Sports level competition. Fitzpatrick now spearheads the GS junior girls program, which is geared toward 15-21 year olds and has a rich history in the women's game, with the senior team having won the last five Ontario Cups and a top-three finish at nationals. He's also an assistant with the DeRo United/GS United League 1 women's team.
Fitzpatrick played professionally with both Real Salt Lake and Columbus Crew of the MLS, also playing at the professional level in Europe, Asia and Trinidad and Tobago, spending a total of 10 years as a professional player while captaining three clubs along the way. Fitzpatrick has been the technical director at Kenton Soccer Association since 2012.
Fitzpatrick already has a familiarity with the program, having spent the 2017-18 campaign as an assistant with the women's team. He also has a strong relationship with long-time Husky John Williams, which will aid in his transition.
"The opportunity to build on the fantastic foundation that John Williams laid in developing the program, and to continue to work closely with such a dedicated and motivated group of young women was one of the biggest draws to filling this position," said Fitzpatrick. "I look forward to putting a product on the field that is befitting of the wonderful sporting tradition of GBC athletics and to assisting these ladies both in their academic and sporting pursuits. Thanks to Melanie Gérin-Lajoie and the entire athletic department for welcoming me into the Husky family since my arrival in the spring and for the trust they have put in me to take the program into the next frontier."
Training camp gets underway in August, if you are interested in George Brown women's soccer please contact athletics coordinator Tammy Nopuente at tnopuent@georgebrown.ca.
Source: George Brown Huskies