VANCOUVER, WA—Vancouver Victory FC are pleased to announce that Troy Ready will be the club’s new head coach going forward as preparations begin to defend the 2016 Evergreen Premier League Championship. Ready takes over for Aaron Lewis who recently was announced as the new head coach of the Portland Timbers U23’s of the PDL.
“It’s an honor to be named head coach and to begin serving in this role,” Ready (pronounced ‘Reedy’) says. “The Vancouver Victory have a fantastic reputation both on and off the field, and it will be my joy to extend the success of this club going forward.”
“Troy came highly recommended by Coach Lewis as his successor at the helm of the victory,” says Vancouver owner Barrett Goddard. “He and I share similar philosophies about soccer and development.”
“After interviewing Troy and chatting with him a few times it was obvious that he and I had the same rapport and comfort level that I had with Aaron Lewis. We are excited to bringing a new dynamic to our coaching staff and are expecting great things from Troy as he gets going.”
Likius Hafeni will return as Victory assistant coach.
Success under Aaron Lewis
Goddard and the Victory were highly successful with Lewis at the helm. They were a combined 18-7-3 over two seasons. “When Aaron called me and told me about the opportunity to catch the Portland Timbers U23 team I was disappointed yet at the same time very excited for him,” Says Goddard. “Knowing that this would be an excellent opportunity for Aaron I encouraged him to take a hard look at the position.”
Lewis and Goddard anticipate keeping connections alive between the Victory and Corban University Men’s Soccer. “It is rewarding to know that the development of our coaches and players has led to other opportunities for them to further themselves professionally in soccer,” Goddard shares. “I am excited for Aaron and his family as he begins an exciting new opportunity with the team closer to his home in Salem.”
More about Troy Ready
Troy Ready was raised in Spokane, Washington and attended college at the University of Washington where he led the team to their first ever Sweet 16 appearance as the leading scorer and offensive MVP. He went on to play professionally for three seasons with the Portland Timbers and later in Tajikistan with Vakhsh FC.
Troy also has an extensive coaching background and holds a USSF “A” license along with an Asian Football Confederation “B” license. He has coached at the international level as a member of Tajikistan’s Football Federation, professionally as an assistant for Vakhsh FC, semi-pro as an assistant for the Portland Timbers U-23’s, and collegiately for a combined 7 years at Corban University, Whitworth University, and Warner Pacific College.
Troy also has a passion to use the platform of soccer for community development. He is currently serving in his 4th season as the chaplain for the Portland Timbers, was co-humanitarian of the year as a player, and spent 4 years in Central Asia using soccer as a vehicle for relief and development.
Troy and his wife, Jenny, have been married for 12 years and have three sons (Myles, 8), (Keats, 6), and Tanner (3). In his free time you’ll find him hanging with his friends and family, playing the guitar, or trying to figure out how to fly fish.
