Boys Coaches
Zach Weidman
Weidman joins Bethesda after previously spending two seasons as a graduate assistant at the University of the Cumberlands. During the spring 2021 season, Weidman led the Patriots to their first Mid-South conference title and an appearance in the NAIA National Tournament Quarterfinals. UC finished the spring with a No. 6 ranking in the final national poll, the highest ranking in program history.
Primarily responsible for the goalkeepers, he directed the unit to one of their most successful seasons between the posts. In the spring 2021 campaign, the keepers recorded nine shutouts (seventh-most in NAIA) and 14 wins, the most since 2010 for the program. At UC, he coached an NAIA All-American and 15 All-Conference performers.
A native of Concord, Mich., Weidman played at Spring Arbor University. He played four seasons with the Cougars and boasted a .833 record as a goalkeeper. While at Spring Arbor, Weidman served as the men’s soccer representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Council and was the team’s NAIA Champion of Character.
Weidman holds his USSF D License and a CoachTech Analytical Analysis Diploma.
Parnell Hegngi
Coaching Experience
Enrolled in UEFA ‘C’ License from Germany
TuS Wesfalia Wethmar Youth Teams
Luener SV Youth Teams
DeMatha Catholic High School Varsity Associate Head Coach: 4 Years
DeMatha Soccer Academy Technical Director: 4 Years
Washington Capital United U15-U19 Age Group Director: 2 Years
Playing Experience
Bethesda Mavericks
DeMatha Catholic High School Varsity: All-Met, All-Conference
The Ohio State University: Big Ten All-Conference
Played Professionally in Germany: SC Westfalia Herne, Luener SV, Rot Weiss Essen, Westfalia Wickede
Arel Moav
Arel has been with Bethesda for almost two years. He joined in the fall of the 20/21 season playing as a fullback for Bethesda’s U18s. He has worked at our juniors soccer camp since the spring of 2021. He currently works as an assistant coach for Bethesda’s U8 white and green as well as U9 academy 2 and 3. Arel currently holds a USSF Grassroots License.
Yaya Fane
AS A COACH
2019-2021: Lower Merion Soccer Club U11 & U15
2018: Assistant Coach at Girard College in PA
AS A PLAYER
2021: Current playing for Maryland Bobcats in NISA
2021: Maryland Bobcats Team player of the year
Philadelphia Lone Stars player of the year 2015-2016 &2017-2018
2017-2018: Selected in Best XI in Eastern conference, Regional and National in (NPSL) 2018-2019: National Runner up with Reading United PA
2014-2019: Philadelphia Lone Stars
2004-2007: Played for Ivory Coast National team U15-17
Daniel Zapata
Daniel was a semi-professional player in Medellin, Colombia, where he played as a left midfielder winning the state league 2 times and local tournaments 4 times. He also played at Montgomery College for a year.
At the academic level, Daniel has a Bachelor’s Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics with an emphasis in Sports Nutrition and multiple degrees in business administration and finance. In addition, he has an ISAK level I anthropometrist.
He worked as a sports nutritionist for Indeportes Antioquia, a government entity in charge of managing high-performance athletes and Olympic prospects in the state of Antioquia in Colombia, working especially with soccer players, weightlifters, and swimmers.
As a technical assistant in Medellin, Colombia, Daniel spent a year at Margos F.C. This academy is dedicated to turning young athletes into professional players. In this academy, Daniel worked assisting the U-15 and U-23 age groups, reaching the quarterfinals of the national tournament with the U-15s and with the semifinals with the U-23 team.
Currently, Daniel has the USSF grassroots license.
Ben Morey
Coach Morey has been coaching and training players since 2002. His coaching philosophy is centered on individual player development to build technical and tactical foundations that yield winning results for his teams. Coach Ben is an avid proponent of futsal and includes futsal training into his soccer curriculum during the winter to further strengthen players’ abilities on and off the ball. Coach Ben has developed ECNL and high-level players looking to take their talent to the collegiate level. His teams have competed in top flights of premier-level tournaments. Of note: his teams were Maryland State Cup Champions and four-time finalists, Futsal National Finalist, Futsal Regional Champions, and Bethesda Tournament Champions.
Coach Morey graduated from SUNY@Cortland and was All-Region and All-Conference as a midfielder. Ben has a U.S.S.F D license.
Connor Klekota
U16 and U17 Boys Academy Assistant Coach
Coach Klekota will be joining the BSC program for the 2022-2023 fall season, assisting our MLSNext Program as they begin to play in the MLS Developmental League.
Connor has a long history of working at the highest levels in college soccer. He is currently an Assistant Coach at American University.
Connor Klekota led the Hoyas to the NCAA Championship in his second season on the Hilltop. He came to GU from Bucknell University where he was a graduate assistant for two seasons.
In 2019, the Hoyas had a historic run winning the national championship with a 3-3 victory over Virginia that was decided in penalty kicks, 7-6. GU finished the year with a mark of 20-1-3 which set the program record for wins in a season. Georgetown also boasted the program’s first three-peat, winning the BIG EAST Championship for the third consecutive year in a 3-1 victory over Providence College at Shaw Field. It was just the second time in program history that the squad has won both the regular season and the championship in the same year.
Individually, the Hoyas had three All-Americans for the first time in program history as well as five players named All-East Region. Additionally, senior Dylan Nealis was the second MAC Hermann Trophy finalist in program history. He along, with Achara was both MLS First Round Draft selections. In league play, the Blue & Gray won three of the major awards and had six All-BIG EAST selections. The coaching staff was also named the Division I National Coaching Staff of the Year by the United Soccer Coaches.
In his time at Georgetown, the team has won two BIG EAST Championships and had three NCAA Tournament berths including the title in 2019. He has coached six All-Americans, 14 All-East Region players, seven BIG EAST major award winners, 21 All-BIG EAST selections, and nine MLS draft pick or Premier League signees. Additionally, the coaching staff has earned league, region, and national coach of the year honors.
In his two seasons with the Bison, Klekota coached three United Soccer Coaches All-Region honorees as well as five All-Patriot League players as the team appeared in a pair of Patriot League postseason tournaments. He also coached at the Bison Summer Camps as well as a number of other camps throughout the country.
Klekota was a Dean’s List and ACC Academic Honor Roll honoree while playing soccer at Notre Dame from 2011-15. He appeared in 66 games, including 50 starts in his career. In 2013, the midfielder started in 14 contests, helping the Fighting Irish capture the NCAA championship. He helped Notre Dame win the ACC regular-season title in 2014 and was an ACC All-Tournament Team selection in 2015 as a senior captain.
The Amherst, Ohio native served as a peer facilitator for the Rosenthal Leadership Academy at Notre Dame, where he was a group leader during leadership workshops throughout the year. He also interned in Notre Dame’s Office of Student Welfare & Development, helping with leadership and teamwork techniques.
Klekota was a three-time Notre Dame monogram winner, and a two-time Francis O’Connor Award recipient, given to a student-athlete who best represents the spirit of Notre Dame. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in management consulting in 2015.
He graduated from Bucknell in 2021 with a Master’s of Science in education with a concentration in college student personnel. Klekota resides in Washington, D.C.
Bob Jenkins
Jenkins is currently Head of Coach Development for Bethesda Soccer Club. Prior to Bethesda, Jenkins served in a variety of roles with the US Soccer Federation.
A former member of U.S. Soccer’s National coaching staff, Jenkins began as an assistant coach for the U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team. In 2002, he became a National Staff Coach (Region I), and in 2004 he was named head coach of the Under-18 MNT.
In early 2005, Bob Jenkins was named U.S. Soccer’s Director of Coaching Education and Youth Development. As the Director of Coaching Education and Youth Development, Jenkins was charged with creating a consistent philosophy in National Education Programs and communicating player development concepts and positions. Jenkins was responsible for the oversight of U.S. Soccer’s coaching curriculum and guides all aspects of coaching education, as well as oversaw National Staff Coaches on technical matters. He also served a key role in the creation of U.S. Soccer’s Development Academy.
In 2008, Jenkins was named the Director of Coaching and Player Development for Richmond Strikers. In addition, Jenkins was a Puma/Arsenal TCC Elite coordinator in 2016, which saw him scouting for the best youth across the United States and coordinate and perform coaching education sessions at all Puma-sponsored clubs.
Before coming to U.S. Soccer, Jenkins served as the head coach at American University from 1992-1999, helping the Eagles become a force in the Patriot League. In 1997, Jenkins led the Eagles to a No. 5 national ranking and the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championship.
Jenkins was also an assistant at Virginia from 1989-1991 with former U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bruce Arena. Bob was a four-year starter from 1980-1984 at Duke University.
Jenkins holds a USSF ‘A ‘License and National Youth License.
Mani Santos
Bethesda SC Head Coach
About Mani
Coach Mani played professionally in Brazil as well as college and professional soccer in the United States. Mani has coached professional teams overseas in Asia and also in Brazil. He transitioned to coaching youth teams in 1999, working previously with Bethesda and also Herndon Youth Youth Soccer. He holds a Master‘s Degree from Rice University as well as National Coaching Licenses from Brazil, England, and the USA.
Email: msantos@bethesdasoccer.org
Bruce Murray
Bethesda SC – Chief Scout
About Bruce Bruce Murray is the chief scout for both the boy’s and girl’s programs.
Murray was the all-time leader in both caps and goals for the United States National Team before being overtaken in the mid-1990s by Marcelo Balboa in caps and Eric Wynalda in goals. Between his first national team appearance in 1985 and his last in 1993, he played 85 full international games, in which he scored 21 goals.
Murray played in all of the United States’ games in the 1990 World Cup, including the 10 qualifiers in 1988 and 1989 and the three games in the finals in Italy in 1990. He scored the United States’ goal against Austria in the World Cup finals. He also played in all of the United States’ games in its victorious effort in the 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup, as well as playing for the United States in the 1988 Olympic Games, the 1992 Intercontinental Cup, and the 1993 Copa America. Murray was also a member of the US Futsal National Team, which placed third, in the 1989 Futsal World Cup.
Murray also had brief spells with first-division Luzerne in Switzerland and with Millwall in England before returning stateside to play professionally with the Atlanta Ruckus.
In addition, Murray won two National Championships in 1984/1987 with Clemson University, won the Herman Trophy for Best College Soccer Player, and was inducted into the Clemson University Hall of Fame in 1993.
Murray was inducted into the US Soccer Hall of Fame in 2011.