EL PASO, Texas – El Paso Locomotive FC has named Brian Clarhaut as Head Coach and Technical Director as the club enters its fifth USL Championship campaign.
“We look forward to welcoming Brian and his family to El Paso and the Locomotive,” President of MountainStar Sports Group Alan Ledford said. “He brings a unique combination of high-level experience in European football with experience and knowledge of the U.S. and USL soccer landscape. We’re thrilled to have someone with Brian’s credentials aboard to continue to lead the Locomotive into the future.”
A native of Medford, New Jersey, Clarhaut has 11 years of coaching experience and was one of the few American coaches managing a team in Europe in recent years, most recently as the head coach of GIF Sundsvall in the Allsvenskan, the top tier of Swedish professional soccer.
Clarhaut, 36, built a reputation for himself in Sweden after scaling up the tiers of professional soccer with his offensive style of play and an ability to recruit and develop young players.
“We have always kept tabs on Americans coaching abroad and Brian caught our attention as having quickly climbed the Swedish soccer pyramid, an impressive and difficult achievement,” General Manager, Business & Technical Operations Andrew Forrest said. “We believe his high press and energetic style will help us win games and entertain fans. His intense and modern outlook on the game coupled with his desire to win made him the perfect candidate.”
His first head coaching position came in the 2017/18 season after he was named head coach of Nyköpings BIS in Sweden’s third division, where he served as the club’s assistant the year prior.
After three seasons with Nyköpings, he moved up into the second division as head coach for Umeå FC before taking on an assistant coach position with GIF Sundsvall in 2021. Clarhaut played a vital role in the club’s promotion to the Allsvenskan and took over as head coach in July of the 2022 season.
Clarhaut’s managerial experiences also include his Men’s Soccer Assistant Coach roles at Temple University, University of Connecticut and Stevens Institute of Technology. He currently holds a UEFA A and USSF license.
A Division I player at St. Peter’s University from 2004-06, Clarhaut made the All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Academic team.
He was a member of the Shawnee High School squad that won the 2003 New Jersey state title and finished as the second-ranked team in the nation. In 2002 with Bishop Eustace Prep, he set the single season assists record (27), was an all-conference performer and an All-New Jersey Top-11 Player.
About El Paso Locomotive FC
For more information about El Paso Locomotive FC, please visit www.eplocomotivefc.com.
About MountainStar Sports Group
Founded in 2012, MountainStar Sports Group, LLC (MSSG) is dedicated to initiatives that promote economic development and enhance the quality of life throughout the Borderplex region. MSSG’s main focus has been on the acquisition, development, and operation of professional sports and entertainment opportunities for El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. MSSG owns and operates the El Paso Chihuahuas, the Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball, and El Paso Locomotive FC, a soccer club of the United Soccer League. MountainStar Sports Group is also a co-owner of FC Juaréz (Los Bravos) of Mexico’s Liga MX in the Mexican Futbol Federation. The owners of MSSG are Woody Hunt, Paul Foster, Alejandra De la Vega Foster, and Josh Hunt, who serves as Chairman of MSSG. Alan Ledford is President of MSSG.