Matthew Driver is arguably one of America’s brightest soccer minds. He is regarded as an innovator with a creative spirit and a deep respect for the game and its traditions. Driver has devoted his life to the sport and has contributed to the careers of players from all walks of soccer life. He has been involved in every capacity, from coaching to management to marketing and administration, in addition to serving as a well-known author, tactician, and presenter.
“I was told at a very young age that I would be more successful as a coach than I would be as professional player,” Driver recalled. “I showed great promise as a player and displayed great leadership, but I decided if I wanted to continue my lifelong love affair with the game and continue to make an impact, I would have to go into coaching. It was at that time that I began to immerse myself in learning from clubs, federations, methodologies, and coaches all over the world in order to help shape my coaching philosophy.”
Driver’s qualifications read like a world map thanks to licenses from Brazil, Scotland, and the U.S. Each of the experiences have shaped him as a coach, allowing the different philosophies to shape his own style for playing and coaching.
The Glasgow, Scotland native has literally gotten it done at every level from MLS to USL to NPSL to WPSL and everything in between. He is best known for his time as the First Assistant Coach with the New England Revolution, leading the MLS side to an Eastern Conference Championship in 2002 and another strong postseason run in 2003. His time there was truly a “golden era” for the club.
Driver also managed and coached the South Jersey Barons (USL), AC Diablos (NPSL and WPSL), Philadelphia Independence (WPS), Philadelphia Fever (WPSL Elite), Philadelphia Fury (NAL), and AC Crusaders (NPSL).
The Independence and Fever represented the highest level of the women’s game at the time, providing yet another opportunity for him to succeed in the spotlight.
Driver, who helped made headlines with the Revolution, is back in the news as of late. He is launching a new league, American Professional Soccer, built on the hopes of improving player development in North America.
“The league was suggested to me by several colleagues to share my sustainable business model and philosophy so that others can create the same opportunities for American players within their own markets,” declared Driver. “My vision is to create first-tier professional opportunities for homegrown American talent to provide them the competition they need. They need that competition to showcase their talent for greater opportunities either at home or abroad.”
Driver has learned (and taught) a lot about both sustainability and player development over his 20-year career. These are two priorities for APS moving forward.
His experience in the private sector has helped him develop solid models and brands, ensuring his success in a number of soccer franchises and now a new league. Dollar signs and attendance numbers are great, but Driver knows that the players are what the game is all about.
Finding the keys to developing players is needed for American to take a giant leap, or rather step forward.
“A player has to have the desire, drive, ambition as well as the technical, tactical, and physical attributes,” Driver added. “But in n my opinion, the most important thing is professionalism. Having a true grasp of what it takes to get to the next level and having the commitment of going about your business on a daily basis in a professional manner clearly defines a mental toughness. And having an understanding of what type of player you are and being the best of what you do.”
But the players need a world-class system and there is certainly a need for improvement in certain areas.
“In a country of 300 million residents and 5 million soccer players there’s only about 1,200 true academy players between the U-14, U-16, and U-18 age groups,” Driver concluded. “We need to create other types of academy programs to create more opportunities for more players to come into the system. Increasing the numbers of players at the higher-level coupled with experienced ex-professional players/coaches we should be able to replicate the same type of competition and learning environment for those players to develop. No one has the exclusive recipe for the development of professional players and we have many chefs in a large kitchen.”
You can see why a lot of people have taken notice of his ideas. The renowned Canadian Soccer League (CSL) is amongst them. APS and CSL came to a historic agreement just weeks ago, ushering in a period of strategic development for teams on both sides of the border. Male and female players of all ages, from youth to pro, will be the true benefactors of this one-of-a-kind arrangement. The agreement is far-reaching and looks to be a difference maker in the North American soccer landscape over the long-term.
It would be hard (ok, nearly impossible) to find a professional with Driver’s diverse experience, especially when you factor in several years of high level work in the gaming industry. It’s very clear that any player would be privileged to call him “Coach” and any organization fortunate to have him involved with their teams.
Matthew Driver is truly an inspiration for all those that love the beautiful game.
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