Alex Balog, Boys Director of Coaching

CRUSA/ FC BUCKS ANNOUNCEMENT

4/23/2020
For Immediate Release:

McLain tabs Alex Balog for Boys Director of Coaching role at CRUSA / FC Bucks Soccer Club
CRUSA/FC Bucks Director of Coaching Chris McLain has announced the latest addition to the club's coaching leadership. CRUSA/FC Bucks welcomes Alex Balog as the Boys Director of Coaching and ECNL Director. Coach Balog joins CRUSA/FC Bucks with a vast experience as both a player and coach.

“I cannot convey how excited I am to welcome Alex. Very rarely do you find someone as passionate and dedicated as he is. I know he will make a significant impact as he is eager to guide, develop and empower his coaching staff and the next generation of PA youth soccer players”, stated CRUSA/FC Bucks Director of Coaching Chris McLain.

Coach Balog will spearhead the entire boys’ side of the club and will work closely with Director of Coaching Chris McLain and the rest of the club coaching staff to instill an exciting player development pathway and college mentoring program throughout the club. His role will focus on enabling FC Bucks coaches to offer the best soccer experience possible to the club’s players.

Coach Balog currently serves as the Assistant Men’ Soccer Coach at Division I school Villanova University. He has been involved and highly successful for numerous years at all levels of soccer coaching in the United States. As a club director and expert youth coach Balog has tutored numerous players who themselves have gone on to have careers at different tiers of professional soccer in the U.S.A. and abroad.

“I would like to thank the FC Bucks Board of Directors and Chris McLain for their trust in me and I’m very excited to join the FC Bucks family. I believe I can help FC Bucks take the next steps forward as the ECNL has now become the highest level of youth soccer for boys. This is a huge opportunity that we need to embrace.”

Coach Balog’s experience includes serving as a Collegiate Head Coach, Director of Coaching, Club GK Director, ODP State Director, and Scout for MLS and USL Championship Teams. Coach Balog holds U.S. Soccer Federation and United Soccer Coaches Licensing which includes his Director of Coaching Diploma, Premier Diploma, and Advanced National Goalkeeping Diploma.

“Bringing someone of Alex’s pedigree to this club is absolutely massive for FC Bucks. The Boys ECNL needed an exciting leader and that’s exactly what we got. His experience is second to none and his knowledge and soccer acumen rates with some of the best coaches in the country,” continued McLain.

FC Bucks have made headlines in the last few weeks with the surprising yet exciting hiring of Chris McLain as the clubwide Coaching Director who took on his new role with a fresh, professional vision for the club. Coach Balog is the new Boys Director of Coaching and ECNL Director and is the first of three major announcements for the club during this complete club reshaping.

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Alex's Bio

Alex joins CRUSA/FC Bucks as the Boys Director of Coaching. He brings with him a wealth of College, Club, ODP and Professional coaching experience. He is currently an Assistant Coach at Villanova University, joining the Men's Soccer staff in April 2019 after serving six seasons as Head Coach at Montana State Billings.

Balog served two seasons at MSUB as an Assistant Coach before taking the helm of the program in 2013. In 2016 he led the Yellowjackets to a 9-6-3 overall mark and in 2017 was recognized as Great Northwest Athletic Conference Co-Coach of the Year.

While in Billings, Balog also was the Director of Montana ODP, after working as a staff coach for its Wyoming counterpart. He also was a Staff Coach for ODP Region IV and spent 6 years as the Director of Goalkeeping for Magic City Soccer Club/Billings United.

Prior to his time at MSUB, Balog served as an Assistant Coach for two seasons (2009-10) with NAIA soccer powerhouse Auburn University Montgomery (AUM). While in Alabama, Balog also coached for the Olympic Development Program and was the Director of Goalkeeping for the FC Torjager club based in Montgomery. He was also a head coach at Lamp High School.

Earlier in his career, Balog played and coached at Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tenn. He played two seasons for the Buccaneers and then worked with the Women's Program for one season as the goalkeeper coach.

Balog has played soccer in Belgium, Hungary, Greece, England, and the U.S.