Technical Directors

Technical Director Central San Diego

 

DAVID BANKS, TECHNICAL DIRECTOR CENTRAL SAN DIEGO (CS)

David Banks started his soccer career as an English soccer defender, and is currently the Technical Director of Albion SC San Diego CS & the DPL women's director. He was the 1991 Major Soccer League Rookie of the Year and played in the Continental Indoor Soccer League, National Professional Soccer League, USISL and USL A-League. In 1983, David joined Wigan Athletic as an apprentice, and played 79 youth and reserve team games for Wigan over two seasons. In 1985, David joined Nottingham Forest with the reserves, and in 1986 entered Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science, Philadelphia, where he played on the men's soccer team from 1986 to 1989. He led the team in goals with 10 in 1989, and is ninth on the career assists list with 20. David was selected as a First team All American his senior season, and was inducted into the Philadelphia Textile Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992.

In 1990, David signed with the San Diego Sockers of the Major Soccer League, and he earned “Rookie of the Year” when The Sockers won the championship. After a repeat championship win in 1992, David still holds the record for most consecutive games as a rookie with the Socker’s, as well as the title of the Youngest Captain in team history. He spent part of the 1992–1993 National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) season playing for the Denver Thunder. The team finished as runner-up in the first Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL) championship with David being named as a first team All Star. That year, David was also named captain, a position he held through the 1996 season. The Sockers folded in 1996, and David began the 1996–1997 NPSL season with the St. Louis Ambush before moving to the Buffalo Blizzard for the end of the season, where he continued to play through the end of the 1998–1999 NPSL season. David spent the summer of 1997 with the Houston Hotshots of the CISL, and the summer of 1998 with the Charleston Battery of the USISL. In 1999, David moved to the San Diego Flash of the USL A-League, eventually concluding his career in 2000, as a second team USISL All Star, and playing 25 games for the Flash.

David began coaching in San Diego with the La Jolla High School girls’ varsity team, for a total of three seasons, then returned in 2001, taking the team to the CIF Championship win & state championship. In 1999, he joined the University of California, San Diego women's team as an assistant coach, until 2003. In 1999, he became the Director of Coaching with the San Diego Fire F.C. youth club before moving to Nott's Forest F.C. in 2004-2022. Currently, David is the ALBION SC San Diego CS Technical Director & DPL women's director. Holds a USSF 'A' license.

DENNIS LUKENS, TECHNICAL DIRECTOR CHULA VISTA (CV)

 Dennis Lukens played college soccer for Springfield College and professionally for the Boston Storm. He began his career in soccer as a Head College coach at Bridgewater State College between 1988 and 1991 setting 18 school records and reaching the ECAC and NCAA tournaments for the first time in the Schools history. Prior to Coaching at Bridgewater, Dennis was an assistant Coach at Southern Connecticut State College as they finished 3rd and 4th in the NCAA Division II National Championship. He was also Head Coach of both the Boston Storm of the USISl and the Bay Area Seals of the USL, and has been the President and Technical Director for the California Cougars of the Major Indoor Soccer League, Head Coach of the Saint Lucia U23 National Team, Head Coach of Kherson Krystal of the Ukraine 2nd League. In 2012, Dennis became the first and only American to coach professional soccer in Ukraine and the entire former Soviet Union. Dennis is one of only six American-born coaches who has coached professional soccer in Europe. Prior to coaching with Kherson Krystal, In 2011-2012 Coach Lukens served as an Assistant Coach with FC Sevastopol of the Ukrainian Premier League.

Lukens has been the Director of Coaching for the Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association, has worked on the National Coach Education Staff with the United States Soccer Federation, and has served as a State and Regional Olympic Development Coach. He took over as manager of Ukrainian club FC Shipbuilders, and is 1 of 6 American Coaches who hold the highest Coaching License in the World, the UEFA Pro License, and is now readily taking on the role of Technical Director in Chula Vista at ALBION SC.




 

SAMI NEDJAR, TECHNICAL DIRECTOR EAST COUNTY (EC)

Sami Nedjar grew up in Oahu and Southern California, playing soccer all four years of high school, achieving varsity letters and leading the team in scoring. He then played club soccer at the University of Southern California, where he earned his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration (with a dual emphasis in Marketing and Entrepreneurship). While in college, Sami started coaching, first at USC with the women's club team, followed by Occidental College's women's Division III team. Nedjar has three years of coaching experience with women's four-year college, and five years of coaching experience with men's four-year college (San Diego State University's men's team). Nedjar also coached for five seasons at the junior college level, leading Cuyamaca College to two conference championships. He was named Pacific Coach Conference Coach of the Year twice. Two of Cuyamaca's teams finished at the end of the season's top 20 rankings.

Sami was the lead coach for seventeen seasons of high school varsity soccer with Oceanside High School (boys) and Granite Hills High School (boys and girls). In his first stint at GHHS, his boy's team went on a 66-game unbeaten streak which currently stands as the second-longest streak in San Diego County history. His teams have won nine league championships and four straight CIF San Diego Section Championships. In 2003, the Eagles finished the season at 28 wins, 0 losses, and 3 ties and ended the winter season ranked #1 in the nation.

Sami was named CIF Coach of the year in 2004, inducted into the San Diego High School Coaches Hall of Fame in 2006, and into the Granite Hills Sports Hall of Fame in 2011. He resumed coaching at GHHS in 2021, and has more than thirty years of Club Soccer coaching and directing experience. Sami has been director of coaching at Hotspurs USA and San Diego United. He led numerous teams to Coast Soccer League, San Diego Developmental Academy, and Presidio League championships. Nedjar coached teams to numerous tournament championships including two state cup titles, four Surf Cup championships, and three ALBION Cup titles. Along the way, he has helped over 100 players to attain their dream of playing college soccer. Sami was named National Youth Soccer Coach of the year and Cal South Coach of the Year in 2000.

In addition to high school and collegiate coaching, Sami also coached several Olympic Development Program soccer teams for Cal South, leading them to win regional and national titles. As an instructor for So Cal and Cal South, Sami works with coaches in 9v9, 11v11, and D courses. He has earned the A license, National Youth License, and Grass Roots Instructor License from US Soccer and the Advanced National Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (now called the United Soccer Coaches). Sami is currently Advancement Director for ALBION San Diego as well as Technical Director of ALBION East County.

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