Danny Cruz
The 34-year-old Cruz is entering his fourth season in charge of LouCity, having most recently led the side to the club’s ninth-straight Eastern Conference Final.
Cruz arrived to Louisville in 2018, then as the top assistant to John Hackworth, and took over interim head coaching duties one game into the 2021 season. LouCity moved to make Cruz its permanent head coach later that year and since agreed to a contract agreement through 2025.
Since taking over, Cruz has led LouCity to three straight conference final appearances and in 2022 became the youngest head coach to oversee a squad in the USL Championship Final. That season, the boys in purple won the club’s fourth conference crown and set new single-season club marks for points earned (72) and wins (22) while averaging a stellar two points per game earned.
From Petersburg, Virginia, Cruz attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, before launching a nine-year professional career played mostly at the Major League Soccer level. Cruz retired from playing while with the USL Championship’s Real Monarchs SLC in 2017 and in 2018 shifted to that club’s coaching staff before his LouCity tenure.
Cruz and his wife, Brittany, live in Louisville with their son, Santiago.
Simon Bird
The Lincoln, England, native was a star at the University of Louisville from 2001-04, earning Conference USA Player of the Year in 2003, and had a six-year professional career in England before returning as a University of Louisville Assistant Coach from 2009-12. A fixture on the local soccer scene, Bird has worked as Oldham Soccer Club’s Director of Coaching and Kentucky Fire Juniors Boys Director. Bird holds an A License from the U.S. Soccer Federation and is a Qualified Teacher for High School Physical Education and Sports Science.
Scott Budnick
With a steady hand and his keen eye for technical detail, Scott Budnick was brought in by LouCity coach John Hackworth in August of 2018 as interim goalkeepers coach, helping lead the boys in purple to winning the club’s second-straight USL Championship title.
Budnick’s role was made permanent after that, with a top accomplishment his tutelage of FC Cincinnati loanee Ben Lundt, who spent two seasons in purple, capping his stay by being named the USL Championship’s 2020 Goalkeeper of the Year.
Lundt led the league with nine clean sheets in a 2020 season shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Also named to the All-League First Team, Lundt saw his option picked up by FC Cincinnati and will next get his shot in the Major League Soccer ranks.
As a player between the posts, Budnick represented the U.S. at the U-18 and U-20 levels, participating in the U-20 CONCACAF qualification tournament in 1990. After a strong four-year career at the College of William and Mary, Budnick began his professional career in 1993 with the Richmond Kickers and then Hampton Roads Hurricanes in the USISL the following year.
Budnick spent time in the English and German lower divisions before joining Major League Soccer with the Tampa Bay Mutiny and Miami Fusion, eventually retiring with the New England Revolution in 2000.
Making the move to Louisville in 2009, Budnick managed the Louisville Lightning of the Professional Arena Soccer League, winning Coach of the Year honors in 2010. The Alton, Ill., native also has experience at the youth level, assisting the U.S. Soccer YNT Identification Center Program for the Kentucky, Indiana and southern Ohio regions and the U.S.Y.S.A. Region II and Kentucky ODP programs. Budnick also assisted the Trinity and Assumption high school programs and local select youth teams.
Budnick and his wife, Shannon, have two children: Koepler and Dillon.
Ben Hulsman
Jason Israel
Born and raised in Edison, NJ, Jason joins Louisville City FC from Sacramento Republic FC.
Graduating with a degree in Sports Administration from UConn. Jason began his professional career as an intern for SoccerPlus Camps and the Director of Soccer Operations for the Seton Hall University men’s soccer program. Jason has had stops along the way with NYCFC as Youth Program Administrator, the Philadelphia Union organization where he worked with Union Academy as the Equipment Manager/Team Coordinator and with the Philadelphia Union’s 2nd team, Bethlehem Steel/Philly Union 2 as Team Coordinator, and Sacramento Republic as Manager, Team Administration.
Jason is now entering his 3rd season with Louisville City FC where he was recognized as the 2023 Team Operations Award winner in USL Championship.
Stuart Wright
Stuart grew up in Newcastle, England before moving to the United States for higher-level education. He attended Limestone College where he played soccer and earned his BS in Athletic Training. Over the years he has continued his education by earning his MSc in Sports Therapy from Teesside University and his Doctor of Athletic Training from AT Still University. He is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with the NSCS.
He has previously given coverage to Orlando City (USL), Jacksonville Armada (NASL), and El Paso Locomotive (USL) before making the move to Louisville to begin working with Louisville City FC.
davE holsinger
Dave was born and raised in Memphis, TN and stayed close to home to attend college at Union University where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in athletic training.
After graduating, Dave began working at Bethel University in 2014 where he assisted the men’s soccer and basketball programs. He then made the move to Louisville in August of 2021 to become the trainer for our Louisville City FC and Racing Louisville FC academy programs. After less than a year of working with the youth programs, Dave became a part of LouCity’s first team in March of 2022.
