Official: Richie Williams joining RSL as assistant coach

Richie Williams, former U.S. U-17 coach, will be joining Real Salt Lake as an assistant coach, confirming reports from earlier this month.

RSL Communications confirmed the hire, while U.S. Soccer, accidentally or purposefully, confirmed that today when they announced that John Hackworth was joining the U.S. youth coaching ranks.

Richie Williams presumably replaces Andy Williams in the coaching staff, who is set to take on a scouting role after organizational restructures in the last few months.

Richie Williams' soccer career started in the early '90s, starting with indoor soccer in 1992 with the Buffalo Blizzards before joining Richmond Kickers. He started with MLS in 1996 and played for D.C. United, then bounced between D.C. and the MetroStars before retiring with Richmond Kickers in 2005.

Williams also served as assistant coach for New York Red Bulls from 2006 to 2011, and as U.S. U-17 coach from 2012 to 2015. Most recently, Williams oversaw the U-17s at the 2015 U-17 World Cup, where the team lost twice and drew once as they didn't make it out of their group.