Racing Louisville FC gained valuable NWSL experience on its technical staff with the addition of Beverly “Bev” Goebel Yanez as an assistant coach, the club announced Wednesday.
Yanez, 34, joined Racing after two years as an assistant at NJ/NY Gotham FC, where she helped the team reach the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup final and the 2021 playoffs. The former NWSL Best XI selection and two-time NWSL Shield winner as a player will work closely with Racing players on individual development and serve as the top lieutenant on head coach Kim Björkegren’s staff.
The California native is currently enrolled in a U.S. Soccer Federation A-Senior license course.
“I’m so grateful for the opportunity to join Racing,” Yanez said. “I’ve had such a love for the city since I first visited back in 2007. I’m incredibly excited to be a part of what they’re continuing to build. My conversations with the technical staff and the club as a whole have been so welcoming, and I look very forward to the start of the 2023 season.”
Before her coaching career, Yanez was a standout midfielder and forward in Australia, Finland, Japan and the U.S., including six seasons with the club now known as OL Reign. Yanez helped OL Reign win back-to-back NWSL Shields and reach two NWSL finals, tallying 25 goals and nine assists in 123 appearances. She was a Best XI selection and MVP finalist in 2015.
A proven winner across multiple competitions, Yanez won the 2011 Women’s Professional Soccer League title with the Western New York Flash; the 2011 Finnish Naisten Liiga crown with PK-35; back-to-back Japanese Nadeshiko League championships with INAC Kobe; and the 2017 Australian W-League crown with Melbourne City.
The first-ever draft pick from the University of Miami also claimed the Nadeshiko League golden boot in 2013. In all, Yanez totaled 49 goals in 195 professional appearances over a 10-year career.
In addition to her two years with Gotham as a coach, Yanez has worked as an assistant for the U-15 U.S. Soccer Youth National Team, including this past month’s camp in Oregon. Before moving to Gotham, she coached youth soccer at the club level, with stints at the OL Reign academy as well as the Juventus Academy and COPA Soccer Training Center in California.
“I’m glad to welcome Bev to Louisville,” said Racing coach Kim Björkegren. “We have been looking for a coach who can work closely with our players and provide individual feedback. We have many young players in the squad, and we are sure Bev will help them take the next step in their development. Bev also has experience in the NWSL both as a player and a coach, and she has a good understanding of what it takes to be successful in the league. We have already talked a lot, and I believe she is not only a good coach but that her personality will be perfect for us.”
Yanez and her family have many connections to Louisville. Her husband, former Columbus Crew midfielder Othaniel “OT” Yanez, is a University of Louisville grad who starred for the Cards and was a fourth-round pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. He was also the team captain and MVP of the Louisville Lightning, which played in the Professional Arena Soccer League.
OT, who has his USSF Grassroots license, will work as a coach in the Louisville City and Racing Louisville Academy. He previously coordinated camps and clinics for Gotham and worked for the Juventus Academy and COPA Soccer Training Center in recent years.
What they’re saying
“Bev is an amazing person who any club should be lucky to have on board. She knows what it takes to be successful in this league. She proved as a player that her game understanding and understanding of what it takes to be a good teammate elevated her on the field. I know that this is something that she will continue to do as a coach, that will make her one of the best there is.”
– Laura Harvey, OL Reign coach
“Bev is one of the kindest and most genuine people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. She has a burning passion for coaching and improving players that is unmatched. Everyday since knowing Bev, she has dedicated herself to improving and supporting her players, colleagues and football club. Racing have picked up a absolute star here. I’m so excited to see her work her magic in Derby City.”
– Scott Parkinson, former NJ/NY Gotham FC coach
