The North Carolina Courage has appointed Dr. Ceri Bowley as the club’s new chief soccer officer and sporting director. With more than 15 years of experience in strategy and talent development, Bowley joins the Courage with a clear vision for the future.
“I’m massively passionate about talent development and making sure young players get the chance to show what they can do. That’s a huge part of why I chose The Courage,” Bowley told The Athletic. “The club’s deep ties with a strong youth system, including people I’ve worked with before who are doing great work, really stood out.”
Advertisement
Bowley most recently served as the global lead of technical leadership at Double Pass, a global advisory company that specializes in optimizing talent development in clubs, leagues and federations, while also serving as a technical advisor to the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL), where both NC Courage Youth and NCFC Youth compete. He was also the senior coaching pathway manager at the Premier League. Before those roles, he was the head of coaching support at City Football Group, overseeing coaching methodology and player development across multiple clubs, including Manchester City. At his new club, Bowley says the primary objective is to “control the game.”
“When I look at The Courage, there are already clear synergies, especially in how (head coach) Sean (Nahas) sets the team up to control games,” Bowley said. “You can see a common thread: it’s about possession, but not for its own sake. Like (Manchester City manager) Pep (Guardiola) has shown, it’s really about control, with and without the ball. That’s the foundation of how we want to play.”
The reference to the treble-winning Premier League coach is no accident. Nahas told The Athletic’s “Full Time” podcast last week that he admires Guardiola’s style of coaching.
“The way he carries himself, the way he talks about the game, the way he sees the game, I think is just something I connect with,” Nahas said.
The Courage have long been a powerhouse in the NWSL, winning back-to-back championships in 2018 and 2019. But in recent years, the team has faced challenges on the pitch. The Courage got its first win of the 2025 season on Saturday against No. 1 Kansas City Current. Originally founded as the Western New York Flash, the franchise captured the inaugural NWSL title in 2016 before owner Steve Malik relocated the club to North Carolina and rebranded it as the Courage in 2017.
Advertisement
Off the field, the Courage was one of multiple teams named in the 2021 abuse scandal that transformed the NWSL amid multiple years of reckoning with widespread abuse. The Courage’s former coach, Paul Riley, was explicitly named in the allegations.
Over the years, Malik has brought in a diverse group of investors, most recently including Olympic gold medalist and soccer legend Lauren Holiday and her husband, NBA star Jrue Holiday.
Fresh to the ownership group, the club said Lauren Holiday played a key role in leading the search for the club’s new chief soccer officer.
“Ceri’s soccer IQ, inspiring leadership style, and relentless attention to detail make him the perfect person to drive our technical vision forward,” Holiday said in a statement.
Bowley says they share a common view on how he will shape the future of The Courage.
“We see the game in the same way,” he told The Athletic. “There’s such an alignment and synergy between how we see things and the kind of experiences that we’ve had through the game.”
A native of Wales, Bowley has made an impact across all levels of the game, including a stint with Scottish giants Rangers FC, where he helped guide the team during their UEFA Champions League qualification campaign. At the Courage, he aims to bring the same long-term influence he’s had in his previous roles.
“I have a duty to make sure I don’t make short-term decisions that could hurt us in the long run,” he said. “Quick fixes might be tempting, but if we make them, they need to serve us well beyond just this season into year two, three, four, and beyond.
“It’s easy to fall into the trap of fighting fires, focusing only on the present without thinking about the future. But in this role, my duty is to always plan ahead. That’s why I’m not making bold promises about immediate league position or roster moves. What I can say is that over the coming years, the goal is clear: to build a club that wins again.”
(Top photo: Craig Williamson / SNS Group via Getty Images)
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Internacional x Real Brasília no Brasileirão Feminino: Onde assistir, escalações e mais
Internacional x Real Brasília pelo Brasileirão Feminino (Reprodução/Flickr/CBF) Pela 8ª rodada do Brasileirão Feminino, Internacional e Real Brasília se enfrentam na quinta-feira (1), às 16h (horário de Brasília). O duelo acontece no Sesc Campestre, onde as Gurias Coloradas tem mandado seus jogos. As donas da casa chegam para a partida em busca da sua primeira vitória na competição, já que é uma das únicas equipes que ainda não venceu. Com três pontos em sete jogos, as Gurias Coloradas vem de um empate no Gre-Nal. Mesmo ficando a frente no placar por duas vezes, o clube gaúcho não conseguiu segurar o resultado e sofreu o empate. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE Com isso, o Internacional é apenas o 14º colocado do Brasileirão Feminino com três pontos, sendo o primeiro time fora da zona de rebaixamento. Sendo assim, as Gurias Coloradas entram no confronto querendo […]
Lucas Moura treina no SPFC e pode ser relacionado contra o Fortaleza pelo Brasileirão
O São Paulo voltou ao treinos nesta quarta-feira, já visando a partida desta sexta-feira (2) contra o Fortaleza, pelo Brasileirão Série A. E o torcedor do SPFC teve na atividade indícios de uma novidade bastante importante para o time. Reforço na sexta? Lucas Moura esteve presente no gramado e treinou com bola, sem demonstrar limitações depois de ficar fora de várias partidas da temporada devido a problema no joelho direito. Segundo a Gazeta Esportiva, um treinamento coletivo foi realizado especialmente como forma para saber se o meia-atacante poderá ter condições de voltar a campo contra o Laion PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE O portal informa que o atleta teve grande participação no treinamento desta quarta. Como não teve problemas decorrentes da lesão, tem grandes chances de ser chamado por Luis Zubeldía para jogar na sexta-feira. O que não deverá acontecer com Alan Franco. […]
UFL 2025: Best mic’d up moments from Week 5
<!--> We're officially halfway through the 2025 UFL season, and Week 5 was full of memorable moments.Kicking off the week, the Memphis Showboats sunk the Birmingham Stallions in an overtime thriller on Friday night. Then, on Saturday, the St. Louis Battlehawks got a 32-27 victory over the Michigan Panthers. Rounding out the weekend, the DC Defenders got a four-point victory over the Arlington Renegades and the Houston Roughnecks trounced the San Antonio Brahmas, 27-3, in Sunday's action.[MORE: What is the UFL? Everything to know about the 2025 United Football League]And with that, here are the best mic'd up moments from Week 5.ADVERTISEMENT -->Best Mic'd Up Moments of Week 5 "You're a mother f------ dog!"Quarterback Max Duggan gave the Battlehawks a 17-6 halftime lead when he sprinted and dove his way into the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown with 28 […]
NBA & Fantasy Basketball Loser Lineup: Orlando Magic offer little beyond Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner
The 2024-25 NBA season was marred by unfortunate injury luck for the Orlando Magic. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner missed portions of the season with oblique injuries. The team's most reliable reserve, Mo Wagner, tore his ACL right before Christmas. However, Jalen Suggs' season-ending knee injury was the most impactful because, after January, the Magic were without their best defender and third scoring option on offense.Magically avoiding the 3-point revolutionOrlando's calling card is its defense. While that's vital for real-life hoops, it's not as helpful for fantasy. The Magic play at the slowest pace in the league and are bottom-three in 3s made and attempted. It's okay to play slow-look at the Boston Celtics. What's not okay is playing slow and not maximizing your possessions. That's the issue with the Magic — once Suggs went down, the team didn't have […]
Corinthians atrasa pagamento de premiações pelo título da Libertadores Feminina 2024
Equipe do Corinthians recebe taça da Libertadores Feminina (Fotos : Staff images Woman / CONMEBOL) Nas últimas temporadas, o Corinthians tem amplo domínio nos campeonatos nacionais e continentais no Futebol Feminino da América do Sul. Um dos torneios que as Brabas tem dominado, é a Copa Libertadores Feminina. O Timão é o atual bi-campeão do torneio. Com cinco títulos da Libertadores conquistados em sua história, o Corinthians já se tornou o maior campeão isolado da história do torneio, e participa mais uma vez em 2025. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE No titulo de 2024, o Corinthians fez a final contra o Santa Fé, da Colômbia, e venceu por 2 a 0 na final única, no Estádio Defensores del Chaco, no Paraguai. Agora, meses após o título, alguns problemas vieram à tona. Corinthians atrasou pagamentos para jogadoras Segundo informações do portal Fut das Minas […]
The biggest roster need for all 32 NFL teams: Cowboys have WR hole to fill
Ralph Vacchiano NFL Reporter <!--> Billions of dollars in contracts were handed out in NFL free agency. Then 257 players were selected last weekend during the 2025 NFL Draft, before hundreds more were signed as undrafted free agents.Yet somehow, despite all that, none of the 32 NFL teams did everything they needed to do.With the team-building part of the NFL offseason basically over, every single team still has some holes to fill. There are a few lingering veteran free agents who could help and there’s always the chance of a training camp surprise from an unexpected player. But for the most part, teams are out of options in their search for help.If they didn’t find help in free agency or the draft, they’re unlikely to find it now.ADVERTISEMENT -->So here’s a look at what each team didn’t do this offseason […]
Related
Internacional x Real Brasília no Brasileirão Feminino: Onde assistir, escalações e mais
Internacional x Real Brasília pelo Brasileirão Feminino (Reprodução/Flickr/CBF) Pela 8ª rodada do Brasileirão Feminino, Internacional e Real Brasília se enfrentam na quinta-feira (1), às 16h (horário de Brasília). O duelo acontece no Sesc Campestre, onde as Gurias Coloradas tem mandado seus jogos. As donas da casa chegam para a partida em busca da sua primeira vitória na competição, já que é uma das únicas equipes que ainda não venceu. Com três pontos em sete jogos, as Gurias Coloradas vem de um empate no Gre-Nal. Mesmo ficando a frente no placar por duas vezes, o clube gaúcho não conseguiu segurar o resultado e sofreu o empate. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE Com isso, o Internacional é apenas o 14º colocado do Brasileirão Feminino com três pontos, sendo o primeiro time fora da zona de rebaixamento. Sendo assim, as Gurias Coloradas entram no confronto querendo […]
Lucas Moura treina no SPFC e pode ser relacionado contra o Fortaleza pelo Brasileirão
O São Paulo voltou ao treinos nesta quarta-feira, já visando a partida desta sexta-feira (2) contra o Fortaleza, pelo Brasileirão Série A. E o torcedor do SPFC teve na atividade indícios de uma novidade bastante importante para o time. Reforço na sexta? Lucas Moura esteve presente no gramado e treinou com bola, sem demonstrar limitações depois de ficar fora de várias partidas da temporada devido a problema no joelho direito. Segundo a Gazeta Esportiva, um treinamento coletivo foi realizado especialmente como forma para saber se o meia-atacante poderá ter condições de voltar a campo contra o Laion PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE O portal informa que o atleta teve grande participação no treinamento desta quarta. Como não teve problemas decorrentes da lesão, tem grandes chances de ser chamado por Luis Zubeldía para jogar na sexta-feira. O que não deverá acontecer com Alan Franco. […]
UFL 2025: Best mic’d up moments from Week 5
<!--> We're officially halfway through the 2025 UFL season, and Week 5 was full of memorable moments.Kicking off the week, the Memphis Showboats sunk the Birmingham Stallions in an overtime thriller on Friday night. Then, on Saturday, the St. Louis Battlehawks got a 32-27 victory over the Michigan Panthers. Rounding out the weekend, the DC Defenders got a four-point victory over the Arlington Renegades and the Houston Roughnecks trounced the San Antonio Brahmas, 27-3, in Sunday's action.[MORE: What is the UFL? Everything to know about the 2025 United Football League]And with that, here are the best mic'd up moments from Week 5.ADVERTISEMENT -->Best Mic'd Up Moments of Week 5 "You're a mother f------ dog!"Quarterback Max Duggan gave the Battlehawks a 17-6 halftime lead when he sprinted and dove his way into the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown with 28 […]
NBA & Fantasy Basketball Loser Lineup: Orlando Magic offer little beyond Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner
The 2024-25 NBA season was marred by unfortunate injury luck for the Orlando Magic. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner missed portions of the season with oblique injuries. The team's most reliable reserve, Mo Wagner, tore his ACL right before Christmas. However, Jalen Suggs' season-ending knee injury was the most impactful because, after January, the Magic were without their best defender and third scoring option on offense.Magically avoiding the 3-point revolutionOrlando's calling card is its defense. While that's vital for real-life hoops, it's not as helpful for fantasy. The Magic play at the slowest pace in the league and are bottom-three in 3s made and attempted. It's okay to play slow-look at the Boston Celtics. What's not okay is playing slow and not maximizing your possessions. That's the issue with the Magic — once Suggs went down, the team didn't have […]
Corinthians atrasa pagamento de premiações pelo título da Libertadores Feminina 2024
Equipe do Corinthians recebe taça da Libertadores Feminina (Fotos : Staff images Woman / CONMEBOL) Nas últimas temporadas, o Corinthians tem amplo domínio nos campeonatos nacionais e continentais no Futebol Feminino da América do Sul. Um dos torneios que as Brabas tem dominado, é a Copa Libertadores Feminina. O Timão é o atual bi-campeão do torneio. Com cinco títulos da Libertadores conquistados em sua história, o Corinthians já se tornou o maior campeão isolado da história do torneio, e participa mais uma vez em 2025. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE No titulo de 2024, o Corinthians fez a final contra o Santa Fé, da Colômbia, e venceu por 2 a 0 na final única, no Estádio Defensores del Chaco, no Paraguai. Agora, meses após o título, alguns problemas vieram à tona. Corinthians atrasou pagamentos para jogadoras Segundo informações do portal Fut das Minas […]
The biggest roster need for all 32 NFL teams: Cowboys have WR hole to fill
Ralph Vacchiano NFL Reporter <!--> Billions of dollars in contracts were handed out in NFL free agency. Then 257 players were selected last weekend during the 2025 NFL Draft, before hundreds more were signed as undrafted free agents.Yet somehow, despite all that, none of the 32 NFL teams did everything they needed to do.With the team-building part of the NFL offseason basically over, every single team still has some holes to fill. There are a few lingering veteran free agents who could help and there’s always the chance of a training camp surprise from an unexpected player. But for the most part, teams are out of options in their search for help.If they didn’t find help in free agency or the draft, they’re unlikely to find it now.ADVERTISEMENT -->So here’s a look at what each team didn’t do this offseason […]
Be the first to leave a comment