ASHEVILLE, N.C. – UNC Asheville Men’s Soccer Interim Head Coach Mick Giordano has added two coaching staff members to the Bulldogs Men’s Soccer staff following Joe LaCasto’s (’19) departure to complete his MBA. Ross Fitzpatrick and Ronnie Hreha will be joining the program immediately to help prepare for the upcoming year.
Fitzpatrick and Hreha are no strangers to Asheville having worked with Coach Giordano most recently at Asheville City SC during the 2019 season. They each were instrumental in helping ACSC reach their first Conference Final while enjoying the best season to date. Fitzpatrick was a team captain while starting every match for the Blues as a Center Mid. Hreha was responsible for the team’s goalkeepers as they achieved six clean sheets on the season. In addition to his work with the goalkeepers, Hreha worked as the Sports Performance Coach for the Men’s First Team.
“I’m grateful of this chance and excited to get the opportunity to work with a team that’s ambitious to reach a new level of performance,” Fitzpatrick said. “I look forward to embracing the challenges that lie ahead as we tackle them together.”
“Adding Ross is wonderful for our program,” said Giordano. “Ross is a tedious worker both on and off the field with a wonderful football IQ to him. He joins us with an excellent background and is a proven winner from his youth days in Ireland, to his experiences at Midwestern State and Asheville City. He will be a huge asset for our program with his competitive nature that we are striving for here. This is sure to rub off on our players. I am ecstatic to work with such a good young coach. We know he will continue to help the players develop on the field, in the classroom, and as young men.”
“I am unbelievably excited to be a part of a collegiate soccer program again,” said Hreha. “Especially one that I grew up watching. It is unfortunate that we will not have any games this fall, but I look forward to working with a great staff to get the players ready for a successful spring season.”
“I am beyond thrilled to be working with Ronnie again,” Giordano said of Hreha. “He continues to demonstrate he is one of the best around in his field. The wealth of knowledge he brings from working with Coach O’Keefe at Appalachian State, his time spent with the US Youth National teams, and experiences from Asheville City SC will help our group continue to take steps forward. Our goalkeepers and defenders will be able to continue their growth with Ronnie on staff. Ronnie was instrumental to our success at Asheville City SC, and I have no doubt he will do the same here at UNC Asheville.”
