Coaching Staff

Jon Akin - After an outstanding career in college, Jon was drafted by The Charleston Battery in the first round of the A-League draft. In 2000, Jon played in all 32 games for the Battery, who lost in the 2nd round of the playoffs to the eventual champs, Rochester Raging Rhinos. During the 2000 off-season, Jon played with Kilkinney City of The Irish Premier League.

In 2001, Jon played 26 games for The Battery before losing to the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the playoffs. He began the 2002 season with The Charleston Battery before being traded to The Atlanta Silverbacks, where Jon played 20 games.

Gilbert Jean-Baptiste - After a successful college career he signed his first professional contract with the Charleston Battery where he was named Rookie of the Year. He was rewarded for his impact in the A-League and named to the All-Star Team for three consecutive years. As a defender, he scored an impressive 8 goals and 2 assists, leading his team in minutes played.

In 2002, he signed for the Atlanta Silverbacks, where he continued with his success accumulating 3 goals and 1 assist. In his four years as a professional, he participated in two World Cup Qualification campaigns, and fell twice to Trinidad. He has represented his country in two Gold Cups and amassed a total of 11 caps with still more to come. He was the Haitian National Team's Captain.

Braeden Cloutier - returned to MLS after playing four seasons with the Wichita Wings of the National Professional Soccer League. He finished the 2000 season with a career high 152 points, second most of the team and fifth best in the NPSL. His 61 assists that season placed him third in the league.
The Wichita, KS native played in the 2000 off-season for the A-League's Atlantic Division Champion Charleston Battery. He migrated to Germany at the age of 17 to play with Hamburg SV's in the German Third Division. Cloutier was selected by the MetroStars in the second round of MLS 1997 Supplemental Draft.

Velko Iotov Silverbacks 2002 MVP, Bulgarian International, Velko has been a sterling performer for the Silverbacks. Velko's resume is undoubtedly one of the most impressive in the league. Following a spot on the U16 national team, he was also a part of the U19 Olympic team. A member of the 1994 Bulgarian World Cup team that reached the semi-finals, Iotov has also played for Espanol of La Liga in Spain, and Newell's Old Boys of Argentina. After two years with the Charleston Battery, he joined the Silverbacks in 2002. Coach Iotov has 4 years of experience as a professional trainer and coach of Developmental, Classic, and Athena teams.