Staff
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.
Chelsea Cryer
Bethesda SC Head Coach
About Chelsea
Chelsea joins the BSC program after an extensive playing and coaching career. Before joining Bethesda, Chelsea was a head coach at PSA SDFC, NJ Stallions, Maroon Soccer Club, and Match Fit Academy. She was also the Junior Varsity Head Coach at Immaculate Heart Academy. She also played Division 1 soccer at the University of Southern California, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology.
Email: ccryer@bethesdasoccer.org
Shaun Cryer
Bethesda SC Head Coach
About Shaun
Shaun joins Bethesda after an exceptional youth soccer coaching career both nationally in the state of New Jersey. As the Girls Academy Director Shaun oversaw a program that won multiple prestigious tournaments including the Jefferson Cup, the Bethesda Premier Cup, and the Disney Showcase. In addition, his teams won multiple Region I Championship as well as a US Club Championship. In terms of recruiting, his sides saw 66 players go on to play college soccer at Division 1 and Division 3 levels.
Email: scryer@bethesdasoccer.org
Jason Travis
Bethesda SC Head Coach
About Jason
Jason has been coaching soccer for over 35 years. He currently coaches the 2007 U14 Girls Olympic Developmental Program (ODP) team. He has served as the Head Coach at Potomac Soccer for 1999, 2002, 2003, and 2008 Girls teams over the past 8 years, resulting in 15 Tournament Championships including the 2019 MSYSA Presidents Cup State Championship. Jason also served as Head Coach with both Rockville and Gaithersburg High School Varsity Girls Soccer teams.
Before and during coaching, he played travel soccer in Florida for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Beaches Soccer Kyx as well as 1 year of college at Florida State College at Jacksonville. While in Europe for 17 years, he played for several teams (SV Ramsthal, TV Jahn 1895, 1FC Schweinfurt 05, and DJK Seugast) in Germany making it to the Regionalliga.
He currently holds a USSF ‘C’ License and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland University College.
Email: jtravis@bethesdasoccer.org
Catherine Madden
About Catherine
As a player, Catherine played all four years at Stevenson University where she was a Spring 2014 Women’s ‘Gold’ Varsity Soccer Team Member-4 years Runner selection, an NSCAA Scholar All-East Region Selection, and a member of the Mid-Atlantic Conference Soccer Fall All-Academic Team in the Fall of 2013.
Catherine graduated magna cum laude with her Bachelors of Science in Biology from Stevenson University in 2014. She then went on to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore where she graduated with her Doctorate of Physical Therapy in 2019.
Email: cmadden@bethesdasoccer.org
Erica Klein
About Erica
Erica is a Bethesda Soccer Club alum and was a four-year starter for the varsity soccer team at The Bullis School, earning all-league honors her senior year. After Bullis, she spent time playing for Trinity College in Hartford, CT at the Division III level before deciding to focus on my studies. Erica is currently the head coach for the JV team at Walt Whitman High School for the past 4 seasons. Before Whitman, she was the assistant JV coach at Bullis for 2 seasons. In addition to coaching high school soccer, she has coached with Arrington Training and Development (ATD) since 2015, where she has worked with teams of all ages and skill levels. While working with ATD she was the head coach for two MSI teams and the assistant coach for two Maryland Rush teams. She currently holds her F, E, and D licenses through US Soccer and is an accredited interscholastic coach through NFHS.
Email: eklein@bethesdasoccer.org
Eric Cava
Bethesda SC Head Coach
About Eric:
Eric is currently the Head Coach of the Gaithersburg Varsity Boys High School soccer team where in 2019 he was named the MFHS Coach of the Year. In addition, his side were the 2018 MCPS 4A Western Division Champions, going 13-1-1. In addition to his experience at Gaithersburg, Eric has previously coached the Church Hill Junior Varsity High School, Boys U15 Maryland ODP Head Coach, and Girls U13 Maryland ODP Head Coach. At the club level, he coached at Potomac Soccer from 2010-2021,
As a player, Eric played four years of college soccer at Clemson University where he played in 74 matches. He also participated in numerous Olympic Development Program camps in England, Italy, and Belgium. He played club soccer with FC Delco Crunch and was a member of the 2006 side that won the Pennsylvania State Cup. He currently holds a USSF National ‘C’ Coaches License.
Email: ecava@bethesdasoccer.org