 Williams in 2003 | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Richard Williams | |||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1970-06-03)June 3, 1970 (age 55) | |||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Middletown Township, New Jersey, United States | |||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) | |||||||||||||
| Position | Midfielder | |||||||||||||
| College career | ||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||
| 1988–1991 | Virginia Cavaliers | |||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||
| 1992–1993 | Buffalo Blizzard (indoor) | 30 | (10) | |||||||||||
| 1993 | Richmond Kickers | |||||||||||||
| 1993–1994 | Ayr United | |||||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | Richmond Kickers | |||||||||||||
| 1996–2000 | D.C. United | 143 | (8) | |||||||||||
| 2001 | MetroStars | 21 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 2002 | D.C. United | 26 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 2003 | MetroStars | 26 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Richmond Kickers | 53 | (2) | |||||||||||
| Total | 299 | (20) | ||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||
| 1989 | United States U20 | |||||||||||||
| 1992 | United States U23 | |||||||||||||
| 1998–2002 | United States | 20 | (0) | |||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Virginia Cavaliers (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2011 | New York Red Bulls (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 2006 | New York Red Bulls (interim) | |||||||||||||
| 2009 | New York Red Bulls (interim) | |||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | United States U18 | |||||||||||||
| 2012–2015 | United States U17 | |||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Real Salt Lake (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | United States (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 2019 | Loudoun United | |||||||||||||
| 2019–2023 | New England Revolution (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 2023 | New England Revolution (interim head coach) | |||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | New England Revolution II | |||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||
Richard "Richie" Williams (born June 3, 1970) is an Americansoccer coach and former player.
Known for his diminutive height and his dogged tackling, Williams spent the vast majority of his playing career in the United States, playing one season in theNational Professional Soccer League, two inUSISL, two in theUSL A-League, and eight inMajor League Soccer, most notably forD.C. United. He also earned 20 caps for theUnited States national team.
As a player, he won national championships at the youth (Union NJ Lancers, McGuire Cup U-19 in 1988), college (University of Virginia, NCAA Champions in 1989, 1991 and 1992), and professional (DC United, MLS Cups in 1996, 1997 and 1999) levels.
Since the end of his playing career, Williams has been involved in coaching, including as head coach of the U.S. Under-17 Men's National Team and as an assistant coach in Major League Soccer for the New York Red Bulls and the New England Revolution.
Williams was born inMiddletown Township, New Jersey and attendedMater Dei High School.[1] Williams' career has been closely tied toBruce Arena, former coach of the United States men's national team. Arena first coached Williams at theUniversity of Virginia.[2] The two parted ways after Williams graduated. In 1992, Williams signed withBuffalo Blizzard in theNational Professional Soccer League.[3] He played thirty games for the Blizzard during the 1992-1993 winter indoor season. In the spring of 1993, he signed with theRichmond Kickers of theUSISL. That fall, he moved toAyr United inScottish Football League but then came back to the United States, signing with theRichmond Kickers of theUSISL in 1994. Williams played two seasons with the Kickers, helping them to the1995 U.S. Open Cup and USISL titles.
In February 1996, Williams was drafted byD.C. United head coach Bruce Arena in the fourth round of the1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft. Making up for his height with his ferocious shadowing of the opponent's top playmaker, he became an integral member of the early DC teams, helping them to threeMLS Cup titles.
Williams was traded toMetroStars forMike Ammann in 2001, spent a year there and was sent back to D.C. forBrian Kamler. His MLS career ended with the Metros in a trade withEddie Pope andJaime Moreno forMike Petke, a draft pick, and anallocation before the 2003 season. Williams tallied just eight goals and added 33 assists in 216 regular season games in MLS (plus two goals and four assists in 26 playoff games).
Williams signed with his original American teamRichmond Kickers which then played in theUSL A-League, prior to the 2004 season, but left the club in September 2005 after disagreements with the coachLeigh Cowlishaw, and retired from playing shortly thereafter.
Williams earned his first cap for the United States on November 6, 1998, againstAustralia, and went on to appear 20 times for the national team.
Williams spent several years as an assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Virginia, before being named an assistant coach with theMetroStars in January 2006. In June 2006, Williams was named interim head coach of the re-brandedNew York Red Bulls, and went back as assistant following formerUnited States men's national soccer team head coachBruce Arena's appointment with the club. He remained as the club's top assistant coach, until he was once again called on to serve as the club's interim coach replacingJuan Carlos Osorio for the remaining eight matches of the 2009 season.Williams was retained by Red Bulls as an assistant coach for the 2010 season before being abruptly fired just three weeks before the start of the 2011 MLS season.[1]
In October 2011, Williams was hired as the head coach of theU-18 national team.[4] Three months later he was named head coach of theUnited States men's national under-17 soccer team.[5]After the2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, Williams departed the program.[6]
In January 2019, Williams was hired as the head coach ofLoudoun United FC in theUSL Championship.[7] He left the team on May 30 to take a job as an assistant coach for theNew England Revolution.[8]
In August 2020 during the “MLS is Back Tournament” in a COVID-shortened season, Williams assumed head coaching duties of the New England Revolution for three games (a win and a tie, extending the team's unbeaten streak to eight games) while Bruce Arena served a temporary suspension.
On August 1, 2023, the New England Revolution announced that Bruce Arena was placed on administrative leave amid allegations of "insensitive and inappropriate remarks[9]"and that Williams would act as interim head coach pending a related league investigation. On September 12, 2023, it was announced thatClint Peay would be replacing Williams as interim head coach.[10]
Williams was named head coach of the Revolution'sMLS Next Pro squadNew England Revolution II on January 17, 2024.[11]
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Win % | |||
| New York Red Bulls (interim coach) | June 2006 | August 2006 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 037.50 |
| New York Red Bulls (interim coach) | August 2009 | October 2009 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 8 | 037.50 |
| Loudoun United FC | January 28, 2019 | May 30, 2019 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 13 | 022.22 |
| New England Revolution | August 1, 2023 | September 13, 2023 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 016.67 |
| Total | 31 | 9 | 12 | 10 | 37 | 35 | 029.03 | ||
D.C. United
Richmond Kickers
United States
Individual
United States squads | |||||||||||||
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