HARRISON, NJ (Wednesday, February 15, 2023) – NJ/NY Gotham FC today announced that an elite group of experienced and accomplished professionals from around the world have joined Gotham FC Head Coach Juan Carlos Amorós on the coaching staff.

As the club continues to build on a new vision both on and off the field, new Gotham FC assistant coaches include former U.S. Women’s National Team player Jen Lalor, along with Shaun Harris and Ak Lakhani – who both previously coached alongside Amorós during his successful tenure at Tottenham Hotspur FC.

Jesús Botello Hermosa serves as Head of Tactical Analysis and Adrián Benítez Jiménez joins the club as Strength and Conditioning Coach. Remaining with the club from last season, Philip Congleton is now Head of Sports Science, and Brody Sams continues as Goalkeeper Coach.

“I am proud to be joined by these incredibly talented, experienced and dedicated coaches from across global soccer in our mission to build Gotham FC into the championship club that New Jersey and New York deserve,” said Amorós. “Jen, Ak, Shaun, Adrián, Jesús, Brody and Philip make this a truly international staff of leaders who each bring specialized qualities and expertise to our club. Collectively, we are committed to advancing the development of every player and to forming a cohesive unit that plays as a team and makes our fans proud. We are all honored to work with the amazing players of Gotham FC.”

Below are brief biographies for the new members of the Gotham FC coaching staff.

Jen Lalor | Assistant Coach
In addition to her duties as assistant coach, Lalor also will play an integral role for Gotham FC with the club’s player development pipeline. Lalor won the bronze medal with the USWNT at the FIFA Women's World Cup in 1995 and played professionally in Japan, Denmark and Sweden. She also played in the first women's professional league in the U.S. (Women’s United Soccer Association) with the New York Power and San Diego Spirit. At Santa Clara University, Lalor was the first women’s soccer player in school history to earn a full athletic scholarship and was later inducted into the SCU Athletic Hall of Fame. Lalor has worked extensively at U.S. Soccer in the youth national team system as a coach, scout, technical advisor, and club development manager. As a head coach, she has led two teams to national championships: San Diego SeaLions of the WPSL in 2013, and Albion SC San Diego U16 in 2022.

Shaun Harris | Assistant Coach
Shaun Harris spent the last twelve seasons with Tottenham Hotspur, including years when Amorós was Head Coach of the women’s team. As a senior member of the staff within the club’s Global Football Development team, he traveled around the world to deliver coaching education and player development programs and help implement coaching curriculums within national football associations. More recently, as lead technical coach, Harris played an integral role in helping Tottenham Hotspur Women reach fifth place in the table in 2021-22, their highest-ever finish in the Women’s Super League.

Ak Lakani | Assistant Coach
Ak Lakhani joins Gotham FC from the Jamaican Football Federation, where he was the head of United Kingdom recruitment for the Women’s U17, U20 and Senior Women’s national team. He is also the assistant coach of the Jamaican Women’s National Team that will compete in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and was assistant coach when the team won the bronze medal at the 2022 Concacaf Women’s Championship in Mexico. Lakhani was part of Amorós’ coaching staff during his successful tenure at Tottenham Hotspur Women’s FC when the club earned back-to-back promotions. He has also worked at Tottenham Hotspur Academy and Leyton Orient Academy, and he was one of 150 coaches in the UK to be awarded a Medal from Prince William for "Outstanding Contribution to Football."

Adrián Benítez Jiménez | Strength and Conditioning Coach
Prior to joining Gotham FC, Adrián Benítez Jiménez was Head of Performance for Real Betis in Spain’s First Division women’s league (Liga F) – where he worked with Amorós, a former head coach of Real Betis – and as rehabilitation coach at Real Betis Academy. Among his previous roles, Jiménez was a fitness coach and Academy strength and conditioning coach at Córdoba FC and Marcet Football Academy, and he has also worked with Girona, Real Betis’ men’s team, Atlético de Madrid Academy, the Argentinian Men’s National Team, Basel FC, Granada FC, RCD Mallorca, and Cádiz FC.

Jesús Botello Hermosa | Head of Tactical Analysis
Jesús Botello Hermosa was previously assistant coach with Real Betis, where his focus was on tactical analysis and designing of game strategies. It was during his time with Real Betis that he worked with Amorós as the club became a competitive force in LIGA F.  Botello Hermosa has also served as head of tactical analysis for CD Ronda in Spain, was co-founder and a professor of Sports Management and Sports Scouting at the Royal Football Federation, and was a professor in High Performance in football as well as a coach educator for the Royal Spanish Federation. Botello Hermosa has worked in the broadcasting industry as a La Liga analyst for Mass Media and Real Betis TV, and he is an author of books on tactical analysis.

Phillip Congleton | Head of Sports Science
Phillip Congleton has been with Gotham FC since 2020. Prior to joining the club, Congleton served as High Performance Coach for the women’s soccer team at James Madison University while earning his Master of Science in Exercise Physiology.

Brody Sams | Goalkeeper Coach
Brody Sams joined Gotham FC at the start of the 2022 season. The Australia native previously spent nine years coaching across all levels in Australia, primarily with the Brisbane Roar of the A-League.