FC Edmonton coach Jeff Paulus steps down, will stay on in player development role

Jeff Paulus is stepping down as head coach of FC Edmonton, but is staying on with the CPL team as manager of player development.

Edmonton placed last in the group stage of the recent Island Games, finishing eighth with an 0-6-1 record.

Paulus will be in charge of overseeing the club’s youth academy players, collecting and analysing statistical data on all players in the club’s system, and consulting with coaches and the GM on player signings and roster development.

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“Jeff has been the heart and soul of this club for many years, and has dedicated himself to it,” co-owner Tom Fath said in a statement. “We recognize this, and for it we give our sincere, heartfelt thanks to him.

“For his many years of good, loyal service, as well as for his proven ability to develop young players, it was important for us to find a way to keep Jeff, so he could continue to contribute his great talents to the club,” he added. “We just agreed that now is good time to find a new head coach to lead the first team.”

Paulus, a Toronto native, joined Edmonton as an assistant coach in 2011. He was appointed head coach in 2018, adding interim GM duties last November.

The club says it has already started the search for a new head coach.