By Ryan Makuch
AFC Ann Arbor is delighted to confirm the appointment of Rod Asllani to Head Coach of The Mighty Oak’s men’s side ahead of the 2022 season. The move means that long-time head coach Eric Rudland will remain with the club as Sporting Director of both teams, remaining actively involved with the men, as well as the women, throughout 2022 and beyond.
Asllani makes the move over a chair following two on-field seasons as an assistant coach for the men’s team in 2018 and 2019 while being involved with the club in the two non-playing seasons. Asllani is in possession of a UEFA ‘A’ License and spent the better part of four years in Albania, serving as a sporting director for KF Kastrioti before joining the coaching staff of FK Dinamo Tirana and KF Korabi, guiding the latter to promotion to the top-flight of Albania soccer.
With The Mighty Oak, Asllani was primarily charged with organizing and training the backline, ultimately playing a vital role in crafting one of the finest defenses in NPSL history, one that included the current star of the Belgian Pro League’s K.A.A. Gent, Joseph Stanley Okumu, alongside Mike Novotny (Chicago House AC, NISA), Jack Cawley (Bromley FC, National League), and Matt Braem (Harrisburg Heat, MASL) who also represent AFCAA in the professional ranks.
Asllani has been around the sport his entire life, joining his hometown club as a youth, and moving to the United States at the age of 19 to play soccer for Schoolcraft and Madonna. Continuing to play throughout his 20s, Asllani earned his UEFA ‘B’ License while still active in Albania, and would finish up his badges and earn his ‘A’ License shortly after his retirement.
On becoming the head coach for the AFC Ann Arbor men’s team as they venture into USL League 2 in 2022, Asllani said, “I’m very grateful for the opportunity to be the Head Coach of AFC Ann Arbor Men’s Soccer team. This opportunity means a lot to me. Having previously been an assistant coach, I got to experience what this club is all about. You can see that everyone who is connected to this club is part of a big family.”
Asllani would continue to speak on his experience with the sport, saying, “It comes with failures and successes that have turned into lessons learned and knowledge. It gives me confidence, but it doesn’t guarantee success. Hard work does. That is the main thing that will help us succeed.”
Sporting Director Eric Rudland said about the appointment of his long-time assistant, “Obviously internal promotion is why the decision was an easy one. To promote someone from within who is deserving of their opportunity, and also understands what the club is about, makes this a natural progression.” Rudland would continue, “Rod will also bring new ideas and a different style of leadership to the men's team, which again will be a great evolution for the club.”
“We want to play a brand of football that is entertaining and excites our fans,” said Asllani, expanding on what Rudland noted. “We want our players to express themselves to the best of their abilities, work hard, enjoy and appreciate this experience. If the fans are proud of their players and enjoying the football being played, that is success to me.”
With Asllani now manning the ship as the on-field Head Coach for the men’s team, Rudland will shift to a more front-office role as Sporting Director for both teams, which has its own separate benefits for the former-head man on the sidelines for the men. Rudland will be actively engaged in the building up of the women’s team as they prepare for their first season in the USL W League, and he will be assisting in the setup of the club’s structure in the same way he did as the head coach for the men’s team. Rudland will be assisting his former assistant coach, Boyzzz Khumalo, who signed an extension with AFCAA to continue serving as the head coach for the women’s team.
Rudland would say, “I want to lend a hand in the team-building process and make sure that the team and Boyzzz are set up for success…It's important that the men's and women's sides of the club are in alignment in terms of our training philosophy and the type of product we are putting out on display.”
When it comes to hopes and expectations for the season to come, Asllani has just one key hope: “The team’s success is my only success. We are one.” Asllani will continue to be a unifying force for The Mighty Oak, and the club looks forward to welcoming him once again to the men’s staff for the upcoming season.