Al Franjoine
Franjoine coaches the U14 girls and U10 boys Academy teams. He was a high school All-American and a First Team All-State player who went on to captain Division I Canisius College, where he graduated as the program’s sixth all-time assist leader. He won gold and silver medals at the Empire State Games, captaining the gold medal team and leading the tournament in goals. Franjoine also spent time playing professionally in Bolivia and the United States. Recently, he studied at the Atlético Madrid and FC Barcelona youth academies and has brought many of those traits and strategies to his teams.
Julian Boehning
Boehning grew up in Manhattan, where he began his soccer journey. He played for Manhattan Kickers F.C., IMG Academy, and New Jersey Cedar Stars Academy, and also trained with FC Zurich.
As a coach, Julian has worked with Manhattan Kickers, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Red Bull New York. He is deeply interested in soccer from a holistic perspective, with a particular passion for player development, tactics, and training methodologies.
A native of Southport, England, he resides in Kenmore, NY, with his two children.
Mike Chieffo
Serves as the head coach of the Frontier High School varsity boys’ soccer program. He has developed numerous players who’ve gone on to compete at the collegiate level and is known for his focus on technical development and team culture. A lifelong Western New Yorker, Chieffo brings years of experience coaching and mentoring young athletes across the region. He possesses numerous coaching licenses including the U.S. National C license and the United Soccer Coaches Premier Diploma. Originally from Fort Erie, Ontario currently residing in Lake View, NY with my wife Melissa & my three children Anthony, Luka, & Victoria.
Ethan Ruggiero
Ruggiero grew up playing soccer in Buffalo, earning All-Western New York honors at the high school level. He went on to play collegiately for four years at St. John Fisher University.
After college, he began coaching at Sahlens, where he was later promoted to Program Director. In that role, he oversaw all soccer programming and camps for players ages 2–17.
Eduardo
Martinez
Martinez is a former collegiate player at Buffalo State University, where he competed through 2024 before joining the coaching staff for the 2024–2025 season. During that stretch, the program captured the 2024 SUNYAC Regular Season Championship, reached back-to-back SUNYAC Finals (2024 & 2025), and made its first NCAA Sweet 16 appearance in program history.
He currently serves as a travel coach with Delaware Soccer Club, working with U13 and U14 teams. Martinez focuses on technical development, game intelligence, and building confident, disciplined players ready to compete at the next level — not just better athletes, but better people overall.
Nikki Bartholomew
A two-time UWS Coach of the Year and former FC Buffalo Women’s head coach (2021–2024), Nikki brings a wealth of high-level experience and leadership to the academy environment. She is passionate about developing and inspiring youth players across Western New York while helping them reach their full potential on and off the field. Holding a USSF D License and currently pursuing her C License, she is known for building strong relationships with players, raising competitive standards, and contributing to the continued growth of the Buffalo Pro Women’s pathway.
Ahmed Abukar
Abukar is a coach with experience developing players across academy, grassroots, and competitive soccer environments in New York City. A former Hunter College men’s soccer player and 2024 CUNYAC Champion, he also competed at the semi-professional level in the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL).
He has worked with organizations including New York City FC and the U.S. Soccer Foundation, helping create positive and structured learning environments for young athletes. His coaching philosophy centers on technical development, confidence, discipline, and character both on and off the field.
Passionate about growing the game, Abukar is committed to helping players reach their potential while building a strong soccer culture within the Buffalo community.
Ryan DiNunzio
Focusing on developing technically strong, competitive players while emphasizing discipline, resilience, and a love for the game. He played professionally from 2002–2007 in the United Soccer League (USL) with the Rochester Raging Rhinos, Western Mass Pioneers (on loan), and Charlotte Eagles, where he won a USL Championship in 2005. Prior to his professional career, Ryan was a four-year starter and captain at the University of New Hampshire, earning Male Student-Athlete of the Year honors. He previously starred at Canisius High School, where he was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 2023. Ryan holds a U.S. Soccer C License and lives in East Amherst with his wife, Jackie, and their two sons, Declan and Beckham. He is also a lifelong supporter of Manchester United.
Alex Pollitt
Pollitt currently serves as a club assistant and IDP coach, bringing technical expertise to player development. Previously, he worked as a coach and program director at TOCA Soccer in Cleveland, where he managed athlete development across all skill levels and partnered with Cleveland Force to train ECNL boys teams from the U14–U18 age groups.
He competed collegiately at the College of Wooster and is originally from Louisville, Kentucky. With an extensive background in both elite competition and specialized training, Pollitt is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of players.
Francesco
Cardillo
Cardillo is the head coach of the Buffalo State’s men’s soccer program where he has led the Bengals to a 88-33-20 record and five SUNYAC playoff berths. In 2024, he guided the team to a program-record 16 wins, a SUNYAC Championship appearance, and the program’s first NCAA Sweet 16. Cardillo and his staff earned SUNYAC and United Soccer Coaches Region III Coaching Staff of the Year honors. A former All-SUNYAC midfielder for Buffalo State, Cardillo holds a degree in business administration and is a native of Oakville, Ontario.
Lew Potter
Among his college coaching stops, Potter spent nine seasons as Head Coach at D’Youville University, leading the Women’s program to six straight postseason appearances and earning AMCC Coach of the Year honors twice. He also coached 28 all-conference players and 64 AMCC All-Academic selections during his tenure.
At the Club level, Potter has coached multiple teams to State Championships and led a team to the 2008 U.S. Club National Championship.
Potter currently serves as Program Director of SoccerRoos, an instructional youth soccer program for children ages 3 and up.
Potter holds a USSF National Youth License, USC Premier, GK Level 1, & Director of Coaching Diplomas.
LIam Sowell
Born in Cleveland, OH, Sowell attended and played for the Saint Ignatius High School boys’ soccer program, helping the team secure back-to-back state and national championship titles. While attending Marquette University, he worked at Bavarian United SC as an assistant goalkeeper coach, working directly with U9–U19 MLS Next, ECNL, and Premier keepers.
During the summers, he works with Kronis Academy and Camp ShutOut, which host multiple week-long, residential goalkeeper camps. Sowell prides himself on fostering high-intensity, tactically demanding training sessions that directly translate to on-field scenarios.
Paul Klopfer
Klopfer is the owner of The Training Pitch, the largest supplemental technical trainer in WNY. He has over 30 years of soccer experience and 5 years of coaching experience, having worked with players from nearly every club in WNY.
Prior to coaching soccer, Klopfer spent years in sales leadership, coaching over 250 salespeople across a variety of SaaS sales roles. His unique and creative coaching style provides players with proper technique, game-speed understanding, and unrelenting confidence — and his ability to connect with players at both a mentorship and player-coach level has been key to differentiating him as a trainer.
Klopfer grew up in Baldwinsville, in upstate New York, and played Division I soccer at Canisius College in Buffalo from 2009–2013.
Averick Parke
Parker is joining the Buffalo Pro Soccer Academy’s technical development staff, bringing years of local experience from every level of the game in Western New York. Currently serving as Head Men’s Soccer Coach at Bryant & Stratton College Buffalo, he has spent his career helping players develop on and off the pitch.
His coaching journey includes meaningful time working with local players and teams at Medaille College, F.C. Buffalo, and Empire United, as well as serving the community as Director of Coaching for Amherst Soccer Association. Parker has always focused on keeping things grounded — concentrating on hard work, honest player development, and helping kids find the right pathway for their goals.
He is excited to join the Academy staff and help Buffalo’s next generation of players reach their potential.
William Malott
William Malott is the inaugural Academy Director for Buffalo Pro Soccer, leading the club’s youth development strategy as it builds a best-in-class pathway for players from Western New York and Southern Ontario to reach the pinnacle of their game. He joined Buffalo after serving as MLS Next Academy Director at Phoenix Rising Youth Soccer, where he oversaw elite player development within one of North America’s premier youth competition platforms and helped establish clear pathways for players aiming for collegiate and professional success.
With over a decade of leadership experience in professional soccer and advanced coaching credentials from the US Soccer Federation, Malott combines technical expertise with strategic vision to build player-centric environments, recruit and develop coaching talent, and foster meaningful community partnerships.
At Buffalo Pro Soccer, he is responsible for defining the academy’s playing philosophy, cultivating a culture of excellence, and ensuring young athletes have the support and resources needed to thrive both on and off the field.
