Alan Koch | Technical Director & Head Coach
Originally from Durban (South Africa), Alan Koch has followed the beautiful game across many countries and continents and in recent times has made Western Canada his home base. Alan is entering his first year at Olé and will serve as the Academy Technical Director and Head Coach of Western Suburbs FC.
Alan will be integral in helping the academy further elevate standards, and reinforce the academy as a platform for Olé Football players to earn scholarships and contracts across the globe. He will be involved across the Academy, working with players from Juniors to First Team, educating coaches and overseeing Olé player placement and pathway management. He earned his Bachelors Degree from Simon Fraser University in Canada and his Masters Degree from Midwestern State University in the United States. In addition, he holds coaching licences from South Africa, Canada, the United States, and UEFA.
An innovative and inspiring coach, Alan has been involved in the development of multiple internationals and professional players. These players have gone on to represent their countries and compete at the highest level of the game on the planet. He most recently had multiple players he has coached perform at the 2022 FIFA World Cup finals. He is responsible for giving Alphonso Davies his start in professional football and has also coached or developed players that have won the Premier League, Ligue 1, the Bundesliga, Major League Soccer, the Canadian Premier League, and the UEFA Champions League.
His devotion to player development, multi-faceted approach to coaching and love for cultivating learning team environments is a unique asset for Olé Football Academy. He has coached professionally for over 2 decades and has made multiple NCAA Final Fours, won the USL Championship while breaking multiple league records, taken the youngest team ever to a USL Conference final, helped Canada win its only international medal in men’s football, won multiple coach of the year awards across various leagues, and has been the head coach of 4 professional football clubs including reaching the top of the American football pyramid leading FC Cincinnati into Major League Soccer.
As a player Alan represented various South African youth national teams, went on a soccer scholarship to Simon Fraser University, was a 3-year team Captain, an All-American, and Conference Player of the Year. He played professionally in his native South Africa, Germany and finished his career playing for Limerick FC in the League of Ireland.
