TREVOR JAMES – Sporting Director
Trevor James becomes the first ‘Sporting Director’ in Detroit City FC history after five successful seasons leading Le Rouge on the touchline and overseeing the club’s growth from an amateur side in the NPSL to a fully professional side, guiding the squad to the playoffs in Detroit City FC’s first two seasons in the USL Championship.
Following his retirement from professional soccer in 1985, James moved into the coaching ranks with stints as staff at Ipswich Town FC and Colchester United before working for Sir Bobby Robson as a freelance scout at FC Barcelona (‘96-’97), Newcastle (‘01-’02), FC Porto (‘94-’96), Sporting Lisbon (‘92) and the England national team during the buildup to the 1990 World Cup.
From 2006-2010, James was Assistant Coach for the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer, serving under three different head coaches during his tenure (Frank Yallop, Ruud Gullit, and Bruce Arena), as well as serving as the interim head coach on two occasions. In addition to his first team duties, he was promoted to Director of Player Development where he oversaw the creation and growth of the LA Galaxy Youth Academy.
As one of the most respected and longest-serving assistant coaches in MLS, James served as Assistant Head Coach for the Portland Timbers from 2010-2012. From 2014 to 2015, James was the Director of Scouting and Assistant Technical Director for the Chicago Fire before he returned to a coaching role with Indy Eleven of the North American Soccer League (NASL) for the league’s final season. He was named Technical Director of Indy Eleven in 2017 and oversaw the club’s transition to USL.
TIFFANY EBERT-JAMES – VP of Sporting and Wellness
Tiffany Ebert-James has a crucial role on the technical staff, overseeing player wellness, dealing with budgeting, managing negotiations, and making sure all things run smoothly within all sporting areas.
Ebert-James has served as the club’s Assistant General Manager since 2020 and will see her role expand at the end of the 2023 season.
DANNY DICHIO – Head Coach
A celebrated figure in English football who enjoyed a distinguished playing career with notable stints at Queens Park Rangers, Sunderland, Millwall, and Preston North End before moving across the pond in 2007 to join Toronto FC for their inaugural season in Major League Soccer. Dichio became an adored figure in Toronto as he scored their first goal in Major League Soccer.
After 59 appearances for Toronto, he transitioned into an ambassador role for the club and took up a position on their academy coaching staff in 2009. Dichio would remain as a coach in the Toronto FC youth system for over a decade before joining Mark Briggs’ coaching staff at Sacramento Republic FC ahead of the 2022 USL Championship campaign.
In Dichio’s two seasons on the Sacramento coaching staff, Republic FC would have great success on the field. In 2022, Sacramento finished as the 4th seed in the West and saw an improbable run to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final, where they lost to Orlando City of Major League Soccer. In 2023, Sacramento would enter the playoffs as the #1 seed in the West, making it to the Western Conference Final, where they would lose 2-1 to the eventual champions, Phoenix Rising FC.
NICK DASOVIC – Assistant Coach
Since his retirement from his playing career in 2005, Dasovic has remained in Canada, staying involved in the game as a coach, beginning at Whitecaps FC Reserves.
Dasovic has coached two different age groups of the Canadian National Team, coaching the U23 side through its 2008 Olympic Games qualifying campaign, where they lost in the semifinal to the United States. He then coached Canada’s U20 squad between 2011-2013.
He also served as an interim manager of Toronto FC of Major League Soccer in September 2010 and would remain in charge until January 2011.
Dasovic joins Le Rouge from the Whitecaps FC Academy, where he has been tasked with developing young talent in their ranks. In 2022, Dasovic was the head coach of Whitecaps FC 2, competing in MLS Next Pro. In February of 2023, Dasovic was named the head coach of the Whitecaps FC Academy high potential players.
EMERSON LOVATO – Goalkeeper Coach
Lovato has worked all across the United States, making stops at Midwestern State University, and Newberry College to name a few. Then, in 2021, Lovato had his first taste of professional soccer, serving as the Goalkeeper Coach at Forward Madison of USL League One. Most recently, Lovato served as an assistant coach at California Polytechnical University.
MAUREEN LILLA – Athletic Trainer
Maureen Lilla graduated from Central Michigan University with a BS in Athletic Training. Since then, she’s had 23 years of experience working with athletes of all ages. Working through Detroit Medical Center, Lilla joined Detroit City in 2021. Prior experience includes Detroit Sun Pro-Am and the UWS National League.
DANIEL FAJARDO – Manager of Soccer Operations
Daniel Farajdo joins Detroit City FC as the new Manager of Soccer Operations for the 2024 season after a stint at Chicago House AC.
