DARRYL STANLEY – HEAD COACH
As one of the few coaches to ever win a professional ultimate championship, the D.C. Breeze could not be more excited to welcome Darryl Stanley to the team for the 2017 season. This will be Stanley’s first head coaching role in the AUDL, but not his first stint as a coach in the league.
Since 2013, Stanley has been coaching professional ultimate as both an assistant and head coach. From 2013-15 he was an assistant for the Philadelphia Phoenix before moving into a head coaching role with the MLU’s Philadelphia Spinners last year. Under his direction, the Spinners achieved an overall record of 11-1 on their way to clinching the franchise’s first and only MLU Championship. Stanley was also named the MLU 2016 Coach of the Year.
For the past two years Stanley has also served as Head Coach of Citywide, a developmental men’s club team in Philadelphia. He led the club to an undefeated regular season, #31 national ranking and a spot in the USAU Select Flight.
Stanley has also served as Head Coach of the University of Pennsylvania’s men’s team Void from 2014-2016, a role for which he was named the University of Pennsylvania Club Sports Coach of the Year in 2016. Void were Eastern Pennsylvania Sectional Champions in both 2015 and 2016 under his leadership.
WILL SMOLINSKI – ASSISTANT COACH
One of most recognizable coaches in the D.C./Maryland/Virginia area, Will Smolinski has joined the Breeze for the first time this season.
For years Smolinski has been at the forefront of growing youth ultimate in the DC area and spreading the game to the community. As a founding member of the Youth Ultimate League of Arlington and the Owner/Director of Capital Ultimate Camps, very few contributors in the entire country have done more for the sport.
In addition to his focus on youth development, Smolinski has an impressive resume when it comes to coaching. His career coaching highlights include four years as a coach for the MLU’s Washington D.C. Current including a league championship in 2014, and two years as the head coach of the Pro Flight club team, Truck Stop. Smolinski was the team’s first ever coach, and while at the helm the team moved from Elite to Pro Flight and has remained at this top level ever since. Smolinski has also coached at the youth level for over a decade including leadership roles with Yorktown HS, HB-Woodlawn, and Williamsburg Middle School. While serving as a coach his teams have won 6 Virginia State Open Championships.
ALEX GHESQUIERE – TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
2014-2016 Head Coach Alex Ghesquiere has stepped away from his head coaching position to take on a greater strategic oversight role for the Breeze as the team’s first ever Technical Director.
With this role, Ghesquiere will remain committed to guiding the Breeze while also coaching the U.S National Team at the World Games this summer. Under his guidance in 2016, D.C. finished with a 10-4 regular season record and he coached the franchise’s to their first postseason win over the New York Empire.
Ghesquiere led the Breeze to a 10-4 record and playoff spot during the 2014 season (his first), and then coached the team to an unexpectedly solid 7-7 record in 2015 after the team lost several of its top players to expansion teams in Pittsburgh and Raleigh. Ghesquiere is an extremely decorated and well-respected coach, strategist and player throughout the worldwide ultimate community, and the DC Breeze organization is excited to have Ghesquiere directly involved in coaching management, on-field strategies and player development again for the 2017 season.
Here’s more of Ghesquiere’s résumé:
- Overall Breeze record: 28-17 (1-2 postseason)
- World Games coach, 2 gold medals
- Revolver coach, 1 world championship, 2 nationals gold medals
- Scandal coach, 2 nationals gold medals
- Revolver player, 1 world championship, 1 nationals gold medal