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Pot's next coaching stop: Menace

By Des Moines Menace, 04/06/18, 3:15PM CDT

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Dario Pot, whose resume includes a UEFA PRO license and extensive experiences as a professional coach and player, has joined head coach Alen Marcina's staff.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – Friday, April 6, 2018 – First-year Des Moines head coach Alen Marcina has welcomed soccer veteran Dario Pot to the Menace’s staff.

Pot is on board as an assistant coach, bringing to Des Moines his 16 years of world-class coaching experience in the United States, Bosnia & Herzegovina, the Netherlands and New Zealand/Australia.

As associate head coach, he guided FC Modrica-Maxima to victory in the 2004/05 Bosnia & Herzegovina League Cup, securing a spot in the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Cup. As an assistant in the 2010/11 season, he helped Graafshcap B.V. earn the promotion to the Dutch Eredivisie, the Netherlands’ top league.

Marcina and Pot met in 2010, and Pot assisted Marcina with Rayo OKC in the 2016 North American Soccer League (NASL) season.

“Dario is a very close friend and an exceptional teacher of the game,” Marcina said. “He possesses an extensive coaching background and leadership experience from the U.S. Development Academy (as a technical advisor and director with California Odyssey SC) to the professional level and holds the prestigious UEFA PRO coaching license.

“As a Club, one of our goals is to prepare and progress players to the pros. Coach Pot is an invaluable resource in helping our players achieve this shared goal.”

A 45-year-old Croatian-American, Pot also holds a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) “A” license and a Master of Sport Science in Sport Coaching from the United States Sports Academy (2004). He has worked as a coach educator for the Virginia Youth Soccer Association (U.S. Soccer).

From 1988 to 1999, Pot played professionally in the United States, Germany and the former Yugoslavia.

This is a return to the Premier Development League for Coach Pot, who was an assistant coach for the 2009 league champion Ventura County Fusion. Pot’s first professional coaching stint came alongside the winningest coach in Menace history: he assisted Laurie Calloway (2001-02 and 2010-12 Menace) with the Syracuse Salty Dogs from 2002 to 2004. 

“I am thankful to the Club for providing me the platform to positively influence as many young athletes as possible, while simultaneously representing the organization,” said Pot. “I’m honored to join the Menace family, to be part of one of the most known respected franchises in the PDL.”

The Menace’s 2018 schedule starts Thursday, May 24 against WSA Winnipeg. The team hosts open tryouts Saturday, April 21 at Valley Stadium.

 

Related links:

Menace announces Alen Marcina as head coach (Feb. 9)

Menace welcomes Tiley Nunnink back as GM (Jan. 11)