Staff Bios
Mike Getman
Mike Getman is a former professional soccer player and collegiate coach. He ranks 15th in victories for Division I Coaches. His career record stands at 322-218-56 (.605). He served as UAB Head Coach from 1992-2018. His UAB teams won 6 conference titles and played in the NCAA Tournament 8 times. He is one of only two coaches to lead a UAB team to the Elite 8 (Gene Bartow/Basketball was the other). He was the Head Coach at Harvard University from 1987-1992 where he led the Crimson to an undefeated regular season and a place in the Final Four. He was selected as conference coach of the year 3 times and was selected as the Conference USA “Coach of the Decade”. He is the winningest coach in C-USA history. Coach Getman played college soccer at Indiana University and then professionally for the Detroit Express. More than 50 of his college players moved on to the professional ranks.
Amy Disko
Amy Disko was born and raised in Birmingham – grew up playing club soccer in the area and graduated from Oak Mountain High School. Amy continued her soccer career playing at UAB for 2 seasons and transferring and playing her final 2 seasons at Lee University (TN). She began her coaching career in 2006 with Vestavia Hills Soccer Club and has worked there ever since. In her coaching tenure her teams have won numerous state championships and has had quarter-final and semi-final appearances at the USYS Southern Regional events. She currently holds her USSF C License and National Youth License and has served as the VHSC programs administrator/registrar for 10 years.
Jaxson Ellis – GK Coach
Jaxson Ellis grew up playing soccer in the Birmingham area. He first played for Briarwood SC during his early years and then moved to Vestavia Hills Soccer Club at the age of 13. He competed as a Goalkeeper for both VHSC and Oak Mountain High School where he won two State Championships. His senior year, the team went undefeated and were ranked #1 in the Nation. This is his first year working with HVS.
Jose Espinoza
Jose Espinoza is originally from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. He grew up playing soccer in Alabama from the age of 5. He played club and High School soccer winning multiple titles. He later played for the Birmingham Pumas semi-professional team. For the past 3 years he has coached for both Hoover Soccer Club and Pelham High School.
Misa Espinoza
Misa Espinoza is originally from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. He grew up playing soccer in Alabama from the age of 5. He played Club and High School soccer winning multiple titles. he also played for the Birmingham semi-professional team at age 14. He made the ODP Regional team and was chosen to train with Mexican professional team Chivas. He has coached at Hoover Soccer Club since 2017 where is a Director.
Tomas Fox
Tomas Fox is the Executive Director of Hoover Soccer Club since 2012 and with HSC since 2005. During his time at Hoover Soccer Club he has built the club into one of the largest and most respected clubs in the state. He played a key role in the development of US National Team Chris Richards. Tomas played college soccer at the University of Montevallo and is originally from Argentina.
Justus Griffin
Justus Griffin was the UAB Asst. Coach for over 20 years (1996-2019). He helped lead UAB to 6 Conference Championships and 8 trips to the NCAA Tournament. He was the recruiting coordinator at UAB for over 10 years. As a player he helped lead UAB to its first ever conference championship and trip to the NCAA Tournament. His blistering pace and defensive discipline made him one of the best defenders in the nation. After college he played professional soccer before returning to UAB as an Asst. Coach. Coach Griffin has coached at the youth level for many years.
Rocky Harmon
Rocky Harmon has been the Executive Director at Vestavia Hills Soccer Club since 2007. Prior to moving to Birmingham, Harmon served as the Director of Coaching of what is now NASA/ TopHat in Atlanta for seventeen years. Harmon holds a USSF ‘A” License, and a Premier Diploma from the United Soccer Coaches. He was the first US Soccer staff coach to select Clint Dempsey to a Regional pool, where Harmon coached Dempsey for three years. Harmon played at the University of Tampa, and later was an assistant coach at his alma mater for two seasons, as well as West Virginia University for three years.
Grant Hudson
Grant Hudson has been coaching for seven years at Mississippi Brilla Juniors. He was the Academy Director in 2022. He also has experience coaching the MS Blues men’s team in the GCPL2, where his team was the League winner in 2022. Coach Hudson also spent two seasons coaching at the High School level.
He played college soccer for Mississippi College as an outside back and was captain of the team in his Senior season. He also played two seasons for MS Brilla in USL2. He has an MBA and BSBA in Accounting.
Jack Hudson – GK Coach
Jack was born in Atlanta, Georgia and has played soccer since the age of 4. He competed for a number of clubs in the Atlanta area in his youth career while also playing for the ODP state and region teams. Currently a goalkeeper on the UAB men’s soccer team pursuing a Master’s in Public Health, Jack started off his collegiate career at the University of Kentucky and then transferred to Emory University at the beginning of his junior year. While playing at Emory, Jack worked for Inter Atlanta FC, as an Assistant Director of coaching for goalkeepers under former Atlanta United and current FC Cincinnati goalkeeper Alec Kann.
Corey Jones – GK Coach
Corey Jones grew up in Homewood, AL. and graduated from the Univ. of Montevallo where he was a four year starter. As a player he helped lead Montevallo to the school’s first ever conference championship. His skill in the goal earned him the MVP award for the Gulf South Conference. Jones has coached for many of the top clubs and high school teams around the state over the past 20 years, and also served for three years as the goalkeeping coach for the University of the South.
Neil MacDonald
Neil Macdonald has spent the last 25 years coaching in the college ranks at Iowa Central (1997–2002),Mississippi State (2003–2012), and Jacksonville State (2013–2022).
He served as Technical Director of Coaching for the state of Mississippi’s Olympic Development Program (2006–2010) and has served as an ODP Region III Staff coach.
Neil is a former Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year and NSCAA Region Coach of the Year. Originally from Inverness, Scotland, Macdonald holds a UEFA B License, a United Soccer Coaches, Special Topics Diploma in Performance Analysis, and is completing the PSV Eindhoven Coaching Academy Training Program.
Kat Nichols
Kat Nichols was born and raised in Grapevine, Texas (outside of Dallas). She has been involved in soccer since the age of 4 when her playing career began. Coming up through the club and ODP system in North Texas, helped her follow her dreams of playing soccer in college. She attended Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama where she played all 4 years as a centre back. After college, she began her coaching journey and has worked with many of the top level clubs in Birmingham over the last 15 years. Kat is continuing to pursue top level coaching licenses. She currently holds her USSF C, USC National Youth, GK Level 1 and National coaching Diplomas and is currently pursuing her USC Premier Diploma. For the past several years she has been the Girls DOC and College Liaison for VHSC.
DeAndre Robinson
DeAndre Robinson is a former professional soccer player with the Philadelphia Fury. Prior to playing professionally he was a member of the UAB Soccer Team and the United States Youth National Teams. He represented the USA from age 14-18. Coach Robinson has coached at the youth level for many years.
Moises Roman
Moises “Moi” Roman was born in Teloloapan, Guerrero, Mexico. He grew up playing soccer in the Birmingham Metro area for a variety of local clubs but found a home at Hoover Soccer Club where he played goalkeeper and captained the team for several years. Coach Moi has coached virtually every age group since starting in 2013 at Hoover Soccer Club and Pelham High School. During his time at Pelham HS he assisted on the Varsity Staff that led to multiple Final Four appearances and the 1st State Championship in school history. Coach Moi holds several coaching licenses from US Soccer and United Soccer Coaches. He also serves as the Girls Academy Director at Hoover Soccer Club.
Carlo Schiavoni
Carlo Schiavoni is the Boys Director of Coaching for Vestavia Hills Soccer Club. He has been with VHSC since 2015. He played college soccer for UAB where he was a 4 year starter. Prior to his arrival in Birmingham he was a member of the Canadian U-20 National Team. He played in the 2005 Youth World Cup in the Netherlands. He is originally from Montreal, Canada.
Oleg Sinelnikov
Oleg Sinelnikov is a former professional player who holds his Advanced National Coaching license and his USSF B license. He has coached at the College and Club level for over 20 years. He is the Director of Coaching for Hoover Soccer Club. He is also a Professor of Sport Pedagogy at the University of Alabama. In 2018 he was selected as the Competitive Coach of the Year by the Alabama Soccer Association. This was the second time he received this award.
Malachi Sweeney
Grew up playing soccer in Cullman, AL, before playing in Huntsville, AL Played for four years with Alabama Elite during his High School career. He also spent two years at Hoover Soccer Club and playing with Region 3 ODP For the past three years, he has coached with Alabama Elite.
Seth Torman – GK Coach
Seth Torman comes to HVS after a stellar playing career at UAB. Seth earned the starting role at UAB in his Freshman season and went on to start every year since. Seth has taught Goalkeeping at camps over the past 4 years and brings a wealth of coaching and playing experience to HVS. Before college, Seth was a standout for Pelham HS where he set records and led the Panthers to the 2017 High School State Championship. He was selected All Area, All Region and All State during his High School career.
John Vincent, Ph.D.
John Vincent, Ph.D., is an experienced soccer coach and clinician. During his 25-year coaching career, he has coached at the collegiate, high school, and elite youth levels. John received his USSF “A” and USSF National Youth Coaching Licenses in 1999. As a Professor of Sport Management at The University of Alabama, John has authored several papers about youth soccer. He is a Staff Coach for the Alabama State and Region III (South) Olympic Development Program. He has also been the Boys Pele Academy Director for Vestavia Hills Soccer Club.
Luke Whittle
Luke Whittle is one of the longest serving coaches in Alabama history. Over the years he has coached many players who have reached the Pro and National Team level. He played a large role in developing current professional players like JJ Williams, Brandon Servania, and Jaden Servania. Luke graduated from the Univ. of South Alabama where he was a four year starter. Luke has coached at every level of soccer from youth, college and professional.
Jason Woodall
Jason Woodall is a Georgia native, where he grew up playing his youth soccer in Stone Mountain and Clarkston High School. Jason was a 4-year starter and Captain at Presbyterian College (SC). After College, Jason went on to play professional soccer for the Charleston Battery, Columbia Patriots, Greenville Shamrocks, and the Atlanta Ruckus. Jason has been coaching youth soccer since 1990 coaching at Ralph Lundy Soccer Academy and Mount Berry Soccer Academy. Jason holds a USSF A Youth License (2023), National Youth License, ISPAS Level 1 & 2 Video Analysis Certifications, and Registered Nurse (RN) in Alabama.