Tallahassee Soccer Club names Lincoln High's Josh Bruno as head coach, begins play in May

In just under three months, newly created Tallahassee Soccer Club will play its first elite-amateur game for its inaugural season.

As part of its process in establishing itself as a premier semi-professional team, Tallahassee SC has named Josh Bruno as its first head coach.

Bruno has been the head coach of Lincoln High’s boys soccer team for the past three seasons, and he has a wealth of coaching expertise in several other avenues, including starting the junior varsity program at Thomas University, where he played for four years and exited as the sixth-leading scorer in Nighthawks history.

“I’m honored to be named the coach of the Tallahassee Soccer Club and I’m excited to prepare for our new season,” Bruno told the Democrat. “We’re finalizing our roster and training schedule and getting ready for the opening weekend.”

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In November, TLHSC chose to join the Gulf Coast Premier League, which is a national men’s soccer league with 16 teams playing across three different time zones. The GCPL extends from North Texas to Tallahassee.

“This is a big snag for the GCPL,” GCPL vice president and director of operations Jonathan Rednour said in a press release. “The amount of work Tallahassee SC has put in to be a staple in their community, before they’ve even touched the field, will no doubt lead to a long and sustainable future for them.”

Tallahassee SC, which sports a logo featuring the Battle Lion mascot in homage to Tallahassee history, will slide into the GCPL’s East Division and play against teams such as AFC Mobile and FC Rangers. The club will likely also develop a rivalry with Pensacola FC. Games will be played Saturdays at 8 p.m. beginning in May. TLHSC’s first home game is May 4 at the FSU IM fields against Savannah Clovers FC.

“As a coach, you’re always looking to grow and learn,” Bruno said. “You can’t be complacent with your knowledge of the game. It will be an incredible challenge that I welcome. We’ll be playing established coaches and teams. It will be up to us to see how we can compete and put out a product that Tallahassee can be proud of.”

Also at the beginning of November, Tallahassee SC conducted its first tryouts, which began with more than 70 individuals from varying levels of expertise.

The club anticipates it will have a roster comprised of FSU, FAMU and Thomas University students, professionals that work in Tallahassee, as well as current high school students that may already be playing on one of the several elite prep programs in town.

“You add the element of multiple age ranges,” Bruno said about differences in coaching semi-pro versus his previous stops. “I anticipate our roster having a 35-year-old guy and a 17-year-old rising high school senior. That will be unique and challenging.

“Throughout our training, it will become clear who we want. There will be different experience levels, some older more seasoned guys that will be able to teach the young guys how to be a professional.”

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Bruno, who holds a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) National Diploma and a NSCAA Advanced Regional Diploma, has served as a Program Director for Florida Elite-Tallahassee over the last three years while also coaching Lincoln to a 35-11-9 record in three seasons.

Thomas University’s JV went 19-6-2 under his leadership.

“Josh is one of the brightest, most passionate and hardest working coaches in the area,” Thomas head coach Ricky Zambrano said. “He has a passion for player development and is committed to the overall development of the player. He is the right man to lead the team.”

Bruno has also spent time as a head coach or assistant coach at Tallahassee United Futbol Club (2008-10), Holy Comforter Middle School (2008), Chiles High (2009-10), Maclay School (2011) and Top of Florida (2011).

“Josh is an established leader in our community and has the pedigree, experience and knowledge to build our program into a competitive team our fans will rally behind,” Tallahassee SC president Chris Petley said. “We are honored to have Josh and his family join our organization and look forward to much success in the future.”  

Tallahassee Soccer Club is a non-profit established to help develop soccer in the region through experiences and community organization. TLHSC is also still accepting members for its inaugural season. Members have a voice in how the club grows and the decisions that are made. One such decision currently under vote is which home-and-away kit design Tallahassee SC will wear.

For more information visit www.TLHSoccerClub.com or find on all major social media platforms at @TLHSoccerClub.