Richie Williams

New York Red Bulls head coach Juan Carlos Osorio announced today that Richie Williams and Des McAleenan will continue the serve on the Red Bulls' coaching staff for the 2008 season.

Williams will be entering his third year with the Red Bulls. The University of Virginia alumnus was an assistant under Mo Johnston during the beginning of the 2006 season before Johnston was relieved of his head coaching duties on June 27. Williams served as the club's interim head coach for eight regular season games from June 27, 2006, through Aug. 12. During his tenure as interim head coach, Williams' squad went 4-3-2 in all competitions and he helped lead the Red Bulls on a three-game winning streak in July.

Williams, a Middletown, NJ native, played eight years in Major League Soccer spending six (1996-2000, 2002) of those seasons in the nation's capital playing for D.C. United and two (2001, 2003) with the MetroStars. He was a member of United's MLS Cup championship teams in 1996, 1997 and 1999. In addition to his club play, Williams earned 17 caps with the U.S. National Team.

McAleenan is now in his eighth season as goalkeeper/assistant coach. During his tenure with the club, McAleenan has enjoyed remarkable success training four U.S. National Team goalkeepers, including Tim Howard, Jonny Walker, Zach Wells, and Tony Meola. Under his tutelage, current English Premier League goalkeeper Howard developed into one of the best international goalkeeping prospects in the world. In the past two seasons, McAleenan has helped Jon Conway post the first (2006) and fourth (2007) best goals against average in MLS.

The contracts for assistant coach John Harkes and fitness coach Pierre Barrieu expired at the end of 2007 and were not renewed.