SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA soccer program has hired volunteer assistant coach Ashley Whittemore and promoted Joe Roberts to the video analyst position, announced head coach Derek Pittman.
"Both Joe and Ashley complement our current coaching staff and will help provide resources to our players that otherwise we haven't had in the past," Pittman stated. "We're excited about the rest of this season and the future of our program as we continue progressing our performances on the field."
Ashley Whittemore joins the staff as serving as the head of player development/assistant coach at Stephen F. Austin for the past four years. Prior to SFA, she coached at the club level for 10 years for Lonestar Soccer Club and Austin Texas Soccer Club. Whittemore was the assistant coach at St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas, for four years. She also owns her own company, Fast Traxe Programs, which she founded in 2019.
Whittemore graduated from West Texas A&M in 2005 with her Bachelor of Science in Biology, where she also played on the soccer team for four years. She has her United States Soccer Federation National A, B and C licenses. She resides in San Antonio with her husband JD Whittemore and their two dogs, Dutch and Viga.
"It has been a great start to our season thus far and we are excited to get back out and play in front of our home fans this weekend," coach Pittman said. "Our team is always looking to improve each and every day, and our coaching staff is no different. The addition of Ashley as our volunteer assistant brings great value to that position and will allow us to share various duties across our staff. She has a wealth of club and college coaching experience and will be able to help our players continue their development on and off the field."
After being hired just a few months ago as a volunteer coach, Roberts earns the role of video analyst. He has over 15 years of coaching experience at nearly every level, including club, youth, high school and collegiate levels. On top of his role as video analyst for the Roadrunners, he is also currently the technical director of San Antonio Rush Football Club, national diploma instructor with United Soccer Coaches and assistant coach of the UPSL Premier Division men's team at Alamo City Soccer Club.
Roberts is a veteran who served for 27 years in the U.S. Navy. He graduated from the University of San Diego with his Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations in 2003 and recently graduated with his Master of Science in Recreation and Sport Sciences in 2022. He has many United Soccer Coaches certifications, including director of coaching diploma, premier diploma, goalkeeping level 1 diploma and high school diploma. Roberts also has a United States Soccer Federation National D license.
"Moving Joe to our Video Analyst role is massive for our staff," Pittman explained. "He has a good eye for the game and fully understands what we ask of our players within our system of play. That knowledge and his attention to detail will be a tremendous asset to our team as we aim to help our players to grow in their development through watching film for individual and team concepts."
The Roadrunners have a three-match homestand coming up, first hosting Stephen F. Austin on Sunday. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. (CT) at Park West Athletics Complex.
