St. Louis CITY SC has promoted David Critchley to head coach of St Louis CITY2, the club’s MLS NEXT Pro development team. Critchley, who has been the head coach for the club’s most elite academy team, will now step into the role of head coach for the second team in a move reflecting the club’s commitment to developing not just players, but also coaching talent.
One of the first hires for the academy back in 2021, Critchley played an instrumental role in the success of the academy program, coaching the U-16 team in 2022 and the U-17s in 2023. In his role, he coached young players like Mykhi Joyner, Caden Glover and Tyson Pearce, helping them along the club’s player pathway and developing them on and off the field.
“David has been a key part of the growth of our academy, and his deep understanding of the club’s values and culture makes him the perfect person to lead CITY2,” said Lutz Pfannenstiel, Sporting Director of St. Louis CITY SC. “This promotion is a natural next step in his coaching career and is well-deserved after all the work he’s done with the academy.”
Having worked closely with some of the players over the past few academy seasons, Critchley is already a familiar face to the team. His experience coaching at the academy level makes him uniquely positioned to continue the players' development as they make the transition to the professional game.
Critchley has coached 14 academy players who made debuts for CITY2 and has seen 26 other players progress to receiving collegiate scholarships to continue their careers. A proven winner, Critchley led the club’s U-16 team in 2022 to an MLS NEXT Flex tournament win and an MLS NEXT semifinals playoff appearance. In 2023, Critchley led the U-17 team to an MLS NEXT Flex tournament win and a quarter final appearance in the playoffs.
“It’s a privilege to take on the challenge as head coach of CITY2,” said Critchley. “I’m proud to be part of a system that invests in both player and coach development. I look forward to building on the foundation we’ve laid, continuing to grow our talented players and staff, and creating a team that our fans can be proud of as we move forward.”
Critchley was born in Liverpool, England and came to the U.S. in 2009 to play collegiate soccer at Oklahoma Wesleyan University (OWU). Following his playing career, he joined the coaching staff at OWU, leading the team’s development training and exercise programs. In 2013, he was appointed director of coaching for Northeast Oklahoma Football Club and after two years he joined USL Championship team Tulsa Soccer Club as a staff coach. Prior to his roles at CITY SC, he was the technical director at Lou Fusz Athletic.
