So what's your background and connection with Detroit City?
I played for Detroit City FC in 2015 and 2016 under Ben Pirmann. At this time I was already coaching and I knew that’s what I wanted to do long term. I retired from playing after the 2016 season and went on to do my masters degree as a graduate assistant coach at Gardner Webb University. I came back in 2018 to help start the youth program for DCFC and Ben was nice enough to let me help out with the men’s team. At the beginning of 2019, when Trevor James came in, he asked me to be his assistant coach. I was grateful for the opportunity and from 2019-2022 I was the assistant coach for the men’s team. In 2021 I was the head coach the U23/Reserves that played in the MWPL. The only season I missed during that time frame was the 2017 season and I was lucky enough to be part of DCFC until 2022. I greatly appreciate what DCFC did for me in the time I was there.

What's your approach to club building and how does it set you apart?
I’ve had enough experience now to know what the most important part of a club is; the players and the staff. Everyone says “It’s a business.” I don’t believe that just because it is, we have to treat it that way. Our focus from day one was based on this question: how do we make this the best experience for the players and the staff? And that is what guides our decisions. of course the business side is important, but we don’t have to act like businessmen. Can we be financially stable? Can we provide enough to give the players and staff a good experience? Sure we can. We just have to be smart with how we operate. The other big piece is how we treat our staff. Every staff member who is involved is not just restricted to the area that they’ll be working in. The two questions we ask them before anything else are “what do you want to get out of this experience?” And “what do YOU want to do?” We don’t sit there and tell them what their responsibilities are. We work together to find out what they will enjoy doing the most. And one part I’m proud of is that we’ve shared every document relating to club operations with the entire staff. So from the founders to the person who will be working as our equipment manager, everyone knows everything about how we built the club. Their opinion on if we should change the material of the jersey to whether we should spend more money on marketing is important. We make those decisions together. Full transparency. The same people at the bottom are the ones at the top. Everyone gets a seat at the table.

Liquid Football is an interesting name, what's the story?
Liquid Football is what we want the on field product to look like. Players interchanging positions, organized movement between lines, smooth passing sequences. Football is an artform. I want people to appreciate it. It’s constant movement, a rhythmic dance, an enjoyable experience. I want people to watch us play and say “Wow. That’s some liquid football.”

The logo is also a standout. Can you give me a quick explainer?
We wanted it to be a little out there. A different crest shape than usual. Something that looks elegant, but playful. I have two sons. Roman and Lobo (means wolf in spanish). So there’s a wolf wearing a roman wreath, which was used to celebrate athletic achievement. I enjoyed integrating my boys in the logo. And hopefully they’ll appreciate it when they get older. And also, nobody wants to wear a jersey with a boring logo on it.

You're entering MWPL in 2023, why that league?
We played in that league with the U23 DCFC team in 2021. It was great. They were organized, good people, communication was easy. It was a great platform for a lot of our players to move forward in their pathway. From the beginning we knew that it made the most sense for what we were trying to do with Liquid Football.

Liquid Football will play at home matches at University Liggett School.

Where is the club going to play home matches this season?
We will be playing at University Liggett school in Grosse Pointe Woods, MI. Season tickets are up on the website already!

Anything else we should know about the club?
We aren’t here to say we’re the next big club in Michigan. We aren’t here to compete for fanbases or to say our experience is better than anybody elses. We just want to provide another option for people who want to be part of something enjoyable. We hope the players and staff enjoy the summer. If Liquid Football can play a small part in their playing and professional development, that’s the idea.