Charlotte Independence Soccer Club Hires John Cullen as Director of Girls ECNL Pro Academy

Nate Friefeld • March 15, 2022

Cullen to bring demonstrated commitment to holistic development to better prepare girls and women for the collegiate experience. 


CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 15th, 2022) - The Charlotte Independence Soccer Club today named John Cullen as Director of Girls ECNL Pro Academy. Previously, he was the Head Coach for The University of North Carolina at Charlotte Women’s Soccer team where his overall record was 131-95 21 (.573). Cullen has an extensive history in player development within the Charlotte community. At every level throughout his career, he has shown a commitment to be successful in this endeavor. His investment in developing players is unquestioned by the notable accomplishments of girls and women within organizations he has worked for. 


“I'm very excited to be named the Charlotte Independence Girls ECNL Pro Academy Director. I'm truly honored to step into this role and lead the next generation of players at the club to aspire to become the best version of themselves as players”, said John Cullen. “I want to thank Chief Executive Officer Thomas Finlay and Ellen Fiori Human Resources Director for sharing their vision of the club throughout the interview process and entrusting me with the task of taking the program to the next level. I feel our values and philosophies align and I'm excited to bring my 20 plus years of college coaching experience, passion, knowledge, and drive to challenge our players every day to fulfill their potential and become the best version of themselves as players and as a club.”


During his 13-years as the Women’s Head Coach, Cullen ushered numerous athletes into National All-Americans, Conference Player of the Year awardees, All-Conference and All-Region Selections. 


Now, Cullen wants to take the next step in his career to focus on the development of athletes at the youth level. He wants to support girls and women in their vision to play at the collegiate level but wants to make sure they become successful as individuals above all. His commitment to scholastic achievement is illustrated as many of his players have become All-District/All-Region Academic Honorees, National Scholar All-America Award winners, and his teams have received Conference All-Academic Accolades. In Cullen, the club is welcoming a coach beyond the soccer field who takes pride in character development. He has an incredible scope of knowledge to build impactful relationships and guide these girls and women to reach their full potential not just as athletes, but as human beings. 


“What an exciting time for our Girls ECNL Pro Academy program. Coach John Cullen is highly regarded in the soccer community, you don’t achieve the winningest records for two separate college programs by luck”, said Chief Executive Officer Thomas Finlay. “There was so much that pulled us towards him. His views on program structure, club connectivity, college player preparation and overall player health and wellness was so encouraging. We simply wanted John to lead our programming moving forward. Onwards and Upwards indeed for the Charlotte Independence Girls ECNL Pro Academy program.”


Before coming to UNC Charlotte in 2009, Cullen was the Head Coach at Catawba College for the Women’s Soccer Team where he boasted a 113-33-16 (.747) record. In 8 years, he was named Coach of the Year for the South Atlantic Conference 4 times, and NSCAA Regional Coach of the Year in 2005. His leadership propelled his teams to win 2 Conference Championships and took the Indians to 4 NCAA Division II Regionals and 2 Regional Finals. 


Cullen graduated from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1996 where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. He is currently married to his wife Terina where they have three daughters: Bailey, Peyton, and Reagan. We are thrilled to bring Cullen into the Independence family and cannot wait for him apply his wealth of experience to our club as Director of Girls ECNL Pro Academy. 


“I look forward daily to developing relationships and working alongside the Charlotte Independence Soccer Club community; staff, coaches, players, and membership and promise to bring my best every day!!!”

Charlotte Independence Soccer Club is a proud member of the Elite Clubs National League. Learn More

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Independence Soccer Promotes Molly Deal to Marketing and Administrative Coordinator

February 25, 2025
February 25th - Charlotte, NC - The Charlotte Independence Soccer Club (CISC) promotes Molly Deal to Marketing and Administrative Coordinator. “ We are thrilled to announce Molly's promotion within our team. Her exceptional creativity, initiative, and skills have already made a significant impact, and we cannot wait to see the remarkable contributions she will continue to make as she embarks on this next phase in her journey with us,” says Sarah Oechslin, Manager of Marketing Engagement and Events. With her new role, Molly will be actively involved in supporting innovative marketing campaigns and projects, specifically concentrating on Camps and Futsal. Additionally, she will take on responsibilities as the key front office assistant in the North. Molly will collaborate on enhancing marketing campaigns and projects, with a special focus on enriching the experience for our members through engaging Camps and Futsal initiatives. “Charlotte Independence Soccer Club has hands down been the best work atmosphere I’ve ever been able to be a part of. Everyone in our club has been so welcoming and friendly, and I’m over the moon excited to be starting my first marketing job here,” said Molly Deal. Since coming on board 6 months ago, Molly has been serving as our North Office Administrative Assistant. In addition, she has been contributing as a Marketing intern for 3 months, lending her talents to campaigns, videography, and photography. Molly earned a Bachelor of Science in Communication from Appalachian State University, where she also minored in English Literature. Molly is passionate about photography and videography and took many classes on the two while attending ASU. She did a study abroad trip to London, UK in the Summer of 2023, where she met with YouTube Music, and Spotify promotional leaders and learned about Marketing and Promotional techniques. “I got truly lucky to find a job that was willing to invest in me fresh out of college while treating me like family,” said Molly Deal .

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