Bill Ajram ~ Executive Director / Director of Coaching
[email protected]

Bill is one of the most tenured soccer coaches in the state of Iowa with over 30 years of professional coaching experience. He founded FC United in 2002 and has transformed the organization into one of the most recognized and competitive clubs in our state and within our region. Player development and promoting technically sound and tactically proficient players is his top priority.

Personal
Bill was born in Colombia, South America and moved to Cedar Rapids at the age of 12. After successfully helping pioneer the high school varsity programs in Cedar Rapids as student at Washington High School, he went on to attend the University of Iowa and then the University of Calgary (Canada), where he was a member of the University of Calgary Men's Soccer team, a member of the University of Calgary spirit and stunt team, and played soccer in the Alberta Canada Premier League and Premier Division.

Married to Michelle and together have 3 children, Bilal, Noah, and Jenna. All three of their children have participated in the FC United program as players and subsequently as youth coaches.

Professional
Bill earned a BA with a concentration in economics and completed the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin. Bill became a community banker for 25 years in Illinois and Iowa, becoming the President & CEO of Linn County State Bank, and a Director for the Iowa Community Bankers Association.


Education
University of Wisconsin (Madison) - Graduate School of Banking
University of Calgary (Canada) - Economics & Political Sciences
University of Iowa - Economics (Officer of Phi Etta Sigma, Honor Society)


Playing Experience
Alberta (Canada) Premier League
University of Calgary, Canada


Coaching Experience
FC United (20+ years)
Iowa ODP
Iowa D-Camp (Boys Camp Director)
Washington High School (Varsity Women Head Coach)
Mississippi Valley Conference - Coach of The Year (2X)
Iowa Soccer Club, CRSA, Heartland Soccer Club


Notable Experiences
Bill has also held positions at several FIFA World Cups. He was delegated as an official ambassador and became the official interpreter for the Bolivian National Team at the 1994 Men's FIFA World Cup. At the Women’s FIFA World Cups he worked as an Ambassador at the 1999 World Cup and the 2003 World Cup.

2003 FIFA World Cup (Women) - Ambassador
1999 FIFA World Cup (Women) - Ambassador
1994 FIFA World Cup (Men) - Ambassador & Interpreter


Licensing
USSF 'B' License Candidate (in progress)
USSF National National 'C' License
USSF National 'D' License
NSCAA Goal Keeping License (I) 
NSCAA Goal Keeping License (II)
NSCAA National Youth License
7v7 & 9v9 Grassroots
NSCAA Professional Development Certification.
ECNL Series Certifications

Jose Michel Fajardo ~  Senior Staff Coach / Coach Development Director
[email protected]

Personal
Jose was born and raised in Spain. He currently resides in Iowa City with his spouse, Susan, and their two children, Micah and Monet. 

Professional
A native of Seville, Spain, Fajardo brings a wealth of international experience, both as a former professional player and a highly credentialed coach. Coach Fajardo is one of the most accomplished coaches in our state, having well over 2 decades of coaching experience and success at multiple levels, from the youth to the collegiate and semi-professional ranks.

Widely recognized for his tactical expertise, player development, and educational coaching. Staff clinician at a number of high-level camps, including the University of Notre Dame, Stanford University, and Indiana University.

Education
Universidad de Sevilla, BA Sports Psychology
Universidad Europa (Real Madrid Graduate School), Masters in Sports Management


Playing Experience
Spain U20 National Team
U20 World Cup (Spain)
Real Madrid CF Academy
Granada CF
Real Betis Balompie team

Coaching Experience
Cornell College Head Coach (Women's soccer)
Mt Mercy University Head Coach
Iowa City High School, Head Coach (Men's soccer)
Iowa Soccer Club, Staff Coach
Sereno Soccer Club (AZ), Director of ECNL Program
Eastern Iowa Soccer, Technical Director
Heartland Soccer, Director of Coaching
Iowa ODP / ODP Regional Staff

Notable
Coached the Iowa City High girls to a record of 108-14 / 6 MVC Titles / 3 State tournaments
MVC Coach of the Year (4x)

Kat Bering ~  Girls Academy (U8-12) Director / Little Strikers Coordinator / Staff Coach
[email protected]

Personal
Kat is from London, Ontario (Canada). She has over 30 years of coaching experience, working with various age groups ranging from U6 through U23, both boys and girls. She has been actively involved in soccer in Iowa since arriving in 1999.

Professional
Kat has the unique ability to motivate players and demonstrate a passion for teaching and mentoring. Her passion is to help players reach their potential.

Coaching Experience
FC United (2 years)
University of Northern Iowa (UNI), Head Coach / Assistant Coach / Goalkeeping Coach
Dike New Hartford, Girls Head Coach
Denver High School, Boys Head Coach

Playing Experience
Fanshawe College, London, Ontario (Soccer & Basketball)
Greece National Team Tryout (for the 2004 Olympic roster)
London Ontario Premier League
 
Licensing
United Soccer Coaches Advanced National (with Distinction)
United Soccer Coaches National Diploma
United Soccer Coaches Goalkeeping Level I & II Diploma
United Soccer Coaches Special Topics ~Systems of Play Diploma
USSF 11v11 & 9v9 Grassroots
ECNL Series Certifications

Gabriel Akpalo ~  Staff Coach
[email protected]

Personal
Gabriel was born and raised in Togo (West Africa). Gabriel has the unique ability to motivate players and demonstrate a passion for teaching and mentoring. 

Playing Experience
Gabriel has extensive experience and played soccer at a very high level, including national team experience in Togo. He has competed with several teams in Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Iran, and the United States. 

Licensing
CAF B-Licence (in progress)
USSF Grassroots
ECNL Series Certifications

Steve Robertson ~ Boys Academy (U8-12) Director / Staff Coach
[email protected]

Personal
Steve is a life-long resident of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and has been a coaching fixture in Iowa for over 30 years, ranging from club to high school, college, and ODP.

Coaching Experience
FC United (3 years)
Cornell College, Co-Head Coach (women's soccer)
PSC, Program Director
Kennedy High School, Co-Head Coach (Men's varsity) from 2004-2016
Iowa ODP

Notable
125+ collegiate wins
Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) coach of the year (2X)
High School State Championships Semi-finalist (4X)
Coach of The Year (MVC and Metro)
Kennedy High School Hall of Fame

Education

Playing Experience

Licensing
ECNL Series Certifications

Griffin Storr ~  Staff Coach / Athletic Performance Program
Griffin@fcunitedcr.com 

Monueir Moodie ~ Staff Coach
[email protected]

Personal
Monueir was born and raised in Jamaica, where he played his youth soccer. He accepted and pursued an opportunity to compete and study at Mount Mercy University, where he graduated with a degree in Finance and Marketing. Currently resides in Cedar Rapids with his spouse and 2 daughters.

Professional
United Fire & Casualty / Group Risk Management & Insurance Specialist

Playing Experience
Mount Mercy University

Notable
All-Conference Defensive Player awards
Appointed as Team Captain on their national qualifier team
2-year Academic All-American in 2015 and 2016.

Coaching Experience
FC United (8 years)

Licensing
National 'C' License 
National 'D' License
USSF Grassroots, 7v7, 9v9, 11v11 & 9v9
ECNL Series Certifications

Brandon Besong ~ Staff Coach


Personal
Brandon, a native of Cedar Rapids, returned after a strong collegiate experience to reside here with his spouse. His father, JP Besong, who was the Head Coach at Coe College in the lat 1990s, has had a tremendous impact on the growth of the sport in the Cedar Rapids area and transferred his love for the sport to his children.

He comes from an experienced background in playing club soccer for Heartland and Eastern Iowa United, and was a member of one of the most decorated youth soccer teams in Iowa, helping lead them to multiple State Cup championships. Brandon played his high school soccer at Washington High School, where he was inducted into their Hall of Fame.


Professional
TrueNorth Companies, Benefits Advisor

Education
Missouri State University, BA in Accounting  / Masters in Business Administration.

Playing Experience
Missouri State University (D1) where he earned a starting spot as a freshman.

During his time at MSU they won 3 out of 4 MVC regular-season titles and he was an MVC All-Conference and All-Region standout his last two years at MSU. 

Coaching Experience
FC United (7 years)

Licensing
ECNL Series Certifications

Jessica Gilbert ~ Staff Coach

Personal
Jessica, a native of Louisiana, now calls Iowa home with her husband and children, Grayson, Grady, Emma, Liam, Jane, all of whom play soccer at FC United.

Professional
Jessica is a licensed Physical Therapist and continues to succeed at balancing a demanding career, along with maintaining a hectic lifestyle with her husband and her strong impact at FC United.

Education
University of South Alabama, Bachelor degree in Exercise Science & Kinesiology
LSU, Doctorate in Physical Therapy

Playing Experience
University of South Alabama (D1)

Jessica has extensive playing experience, having played at a high level in Virginia and Louisiana, where she helped her teams win several state championships and advance to the Regional Finals. She participated in the Olympic Development Program in both Virginia and Louisiana.

Jessica earned a full Division 1 scholarship to the University of South Alabama, ultimately choosing South Alabama over LSU, her eventual alma mater. She earned a role as a starter and became a regular 4 year starter in her collegiate program, winning multiple Sun Belt Conference Championships and advancing to the NCAA tournament.

Coaching Experience
FC United (6 years)










Dane Lee ~ Staff Coach / Goalkeeper Coach

Personal
Dane is a native of Jamaica and currently resides in Cedar Rapids with his spouse and family. One of his personal objectives is to instill a passion for soccer, in particular to young goalkeepers, while focusing on technical development, decision making, and a strong work ethic.

Professional
Highmark, Software Engineer.

Education
Mt. Mercy University, Engineering

Playing Experience
Mt. Mercy University (Varsity Letter-winner, 4 years)

Coaching Experience
FC United (6 years)










Joe Lipsius ~ Staff Coach & Facility Manager
[email protected]

Personal
Joe is a native of Iowa. He and his fiancee currently reside in Kalona.

Education
Graduated from Regina HS.

Playing Experience
Regina HS, where he was a part of the team that won the 2017 state soccer title. 

Coaching Experience
FC United (2 years)

Playing Experience
Regina HS

Shelby Williams ~ Staff Coach & Little Strikers Development Specialist

Personal
Shelby grew up in Cedar Rapids graduating from Kennedy High School in 2017. 

She played soccer for 14 years for Heartland Soccer Club and F.C United. Shelby was a part of the 1999 girls team at FC United, winning a state cup title, advancing to US Club Nationals. Her team is the first team from Iowa to ever qualify and win a US Club National Championship (2014). To date, this is the only Iowa team (girls) that has won the US Club National Cup.

Professional
Currently also works as a elementary school teacher in Cedar Rapids.

Education
Cornell College, Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education / Psychology

Playing Experience
Cornell College - soccer
Cornell College - track

Coaching Experience
FC United (6 years)

Maria Forster  ~ Staff Coach / Goalkeeper Coach

Personal
Maria grew up in Ames, IA where she played at the Ames Soccer Club from U6 to U18. Her experiences as a youth and collegiate soccer player have instilled a love for the sport and a passion to continue to develop other young players.

Professional
Collins Aerospace, Electrical Engineer.

Education
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Electrical Engineering
University of Iowa, MBA

Playing Experience
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (NCAA DIII) - Varsity GK (3 years)

Coaching Experience
FC United (4 years)

Jeancy Matumona-Bau ~ Staff Coach / Collegiate Clinician

[email protected] 

Personal

Born in Belgium. Played at FC Royal Antwerp. He and his spouse are moving to Iowa as he accepted a position as an assistant coach at Upper Iowa University.

Education

Upper Iowa University, Masters in Business & Sports Management (in progress)
Ferrum College, Business Administration & Management

Playing Experience

FC Royal Antwerp

Ferrum College

Murray State College

Coaching Experience

Upper Iowa University - Men's Graduate Assistant Coach

Ferrum College - Student Assistant

Kimu Dieume Mudage ~ Staff Coach

Personal

Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Moved to the USA at 11 years old. Attended Washington HS in Cedar Rapids.

Education

Wartburg College - Business School

Playing Experience

Wartburg College (Varsity all 4 years)

Iowa ODP / US Region II (National Champions)

Washington HS

License

USSF Grassroots

Justin Beal ~ Staff Coach

Personal

Born in Clearwater, FL and moved to Cedar Rapids at the age of 10. Graduated from Linn Mar High School. Started playing soccer at a young age while in FL, then played club soccer in Cedar Rapids throughout the remainder of his youth development and high school.

Moved to Stamford, Connecticut, where he met his spouse, Megan. They moved back to Cedar Rapids in 2023 to be closer to family.

"I cherish the opportunity to spread the love of the game and give back to the soccer community that has given so much to me throughout my life"

Professional
Indeed.com, Accounting & Finance / IT

Education

University of Northern Iowa, Accounting & Financial Management

Playing Experience

Div II Football
Heartland Soccer Club & CRSA

Linn Mar HS

License

USSF Grassroots 7v7

Moussa Adama Coulibaly ~ Staff Coach

Personal

Born in Mali, where he gained experience with the youth and senior-level national teams. Eventually moved to play professionally on several professional clubs in Asia and then ultimately in Portugal and Venezuela.

Education

Universidad Deportiva Del Sur

Institut de Formation de Maitres (IFM)

Playing Experience

Portuguesa Futbol Club (Portugal)

RC Sport Club (Venezuela)

Universidad Deportiva de Mali (INJS)

Coaching Experience

Escuelita de Tinaco

San Ramon FC

License

USSF Grassroots

Tony Herrera ~ Staff Coach

Personal

From Davenport, IA, where he attended Davenport West HS and continues to reside in the Quad Cities area with his daughter, Lucy.

Tony is passionate about helping young players, values teaching strong fundamentals, positional awareness, and a tactical understanding of the sport.

Education

St Ambrose University

Playing Experience

St Ambrose University - Goalkeeper

Coaching Experience

FC United

Quad City Strikers

Licenses

USSF "D" License

USSF Grassroots
ECNL Series Certifications

John Jakobsen ~ Staff Coach

Personal

Born and raised in Sioux Falls, SD, where he played with Dakota Gold. Moved to Iowa to attend Cornell College, where he played soccer all 4 years. Married to Jane and together they reside in Cedar Rapids with their 2 beautiful children, Jayden and Joselyn. Began coaching in 2015 to give back to the sport that has provided him with many opportunities and memories.

Education

Cornell College

Playing Experience

Cornell College (4 year varsity letter-winner and 1st team All-Conference)

Dakota Gold

Coaching Experience

FC United

Licenses

USSF Grassroots

USSF 7v7

USSF 9v9
USSF 11v11

Bri Williams ~ Staff Coach

Shanon Lappe ~ Staff Coach