When Head Coach Neill Collins stands on the sideline for the club’s March 8 season opener, he’ll be surrounded by plenty of familiar faces with experience from all levels of the American soccer ecosystem. From longtime Republic FC medical staff to more recent arrivals, here is a breakdown of the club’s 2025 technical staff.
Eric Wilde – Assistant Coach
Apart from Collins, Wilde is the only new addition to this year’s technical staff, although he’s no stranger to the new gaffer. After wrapping up his collegiate career at Marquette University, Wilde decided to apply his skills – and his engineering degree – among the coaching ranks. With a passion and talent for analytics, he joined the inaugural staff for USL League One side Forward Madison in 2019 and helped the Flamingos reach the postseason.
In 2022, he made the move to USL Championship to work alongside Neill Collins at Tampa Bay. Together, they led the Rowdies to the 2022 Eastern Conference Final and posted an overall record of 30 wins, 11 losses, and 11 draws before Collins’ departure in July 2023. Last season, he switched over to the MLS ranks as a video analyst for Minnesota United FC.
“Coming here was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” he said. “Sac Republic has been one of the most respected teams in the league and the fan base is fantastic. And then to not only have the chance to work with Neill again, but there’s so much excitement going on with the new ownership and stadium, and I’m thrilled that I get to be a part of it.”
Martín Vásquez & Bradley Johnson are both back for their year in Sacramento. Last season, they helped the Indomitable Club hold on to a spot in the Western Conference’s top three for 32 consecutive weeks and clinch the team’s 11th postseason berth in 12 years. Assistant Coach Vásquez has an extensive resume of coaching at some of the highest levels of the game, including tenures at Bayern Munich, Houston Dynamo, LA Galaxy, Chivas USA, and the U.S. Men’s National Team. As a player, he paved the way for Mexican-American footballers, becoming the first to play for both the Mexico National Team (1990) and the U.S. Men’s National Team (1997).
Prior to joining Republic FC, Goalkeeper Coach Johnson spent a season with USL League One club Charlotte Independence, where he coached the 2023 Goalkeeper of the Year. He has also spent time at the collegiate level in his native New York with coaching stints at Iona College, Long Island University-Brooklyn, and John Jay College.
Club veterans Katy Norton, Luke Rayfield, and Dave Redman continue their tenure with the club as well. Norton and Rayfield have both been with Republic FC since its inaugural season and in recent years have stepped into new roles as Director of Sports Performance and Head of Performance, respectively. 2025 will mark Redman’s third season as Head Athletic Trainer following eight years as Athletic Trainer for the club’s youth academy.
André Zayas returns as the Manager of Team Operations for his fourth campaign. He had previously supported the first team as a video analyst, and led the club’s youth training initiatives as the Manager of Soccer Programming. Rodrigo Hernandez enters his second season as Republic FC’s equipment manager. He moved to Sacramento ahead of the 2024 season after serving as the Team Manager for Loyola University Chicago men’s soccer.
Republic FC players will continue to receive exceptional medical care from UC Davis Health’s dedicated team of sports medicine physicians led by Dr. Eric Giza, while additional support and expertise will be provided by Team Chiropractor Charmaine Magale, Podiatrist Dr. Arman Kirakosian, and Team Cardiologist Dr. Ramin Manshadi.
