A new season at Shark Coast FC brings new challenges, new opportunities, and some new faces on the sidelines.
As Shark Coast FC continues to grow, so does the coaching staff responsible for developing the next generation of players in New Smyrna Beach and across our surrounding communities. The 2026–27 season represents another step forward for the club, with an expanded competitive structure, new league opportunities, and a coaching staff working across every stage of the Shark Coast player pathway.
The names and teams may be different, but the mission remains the same: develop players, create opportunities, and build a home for local talent.
A Growing Club Needs a Growing Staff
Shark Coast FC’s player pathway now reaches from our youngest Futures players through competitive youth soccer, National 1, USL Academy, UPSL, the women’s program, and USL League Two.
With that growth comes the need for coaches who can challenge players at different stages of their development.
For the 2026–27 season, Shark Coast FC teams will compete across multiple leagues and levels, providing players with an appropriate competitive environment while creating opportunities to continue progressing within the same club.
It’s all part of building a connected pathway right here on the coast.
Meet the Coaches
Our coaching staff combines familiar faces with coaches taking on new roles and responsibilities throughout Shark Coast FC.
Donovann Castro
Donovann Castro serves as Shark Coast FC’s USL Academy Head Coach and will have a major role throughout the boys pathway this season. Donovann will coach our U18/U19 N1 Premier 2 team while also working with the U12 GCF Division 1 team. He will also work alongside Jared with our USL Academy U20 team.
Having coaches involved at multiple levels helps connect what players are learning today with what will be expected of them as they progress through the Shark Coast pathway.
Jared Tolly
Jared Tolly will be joining Donovann with our USL Academy U20 program.
Jared’s involvement across the Academy levels gives developing players another connection to the upper levels of the club and the standards required to continue advancing.
Adam Benrahou
Adam Benrahou takes charge of our U15 Boys, who will compete in N1 Premier 2 this season.
At an important stage in a player’s development, the U15 level begins to demand more technically, tactically, physically, and mentally. Adam will help guide this group as players continue preparing for the increasingly competitive levels ahead.
Gio Rodriguez
Gio Rodriguez will work with two age groups this season, coaching the U14 Boys in the Florida Regional League – Central and our U9 Blue team in GCF Regional.
Gio also serves as Shark Coast FC’s Media Director, giving him a unique role both on the field and behind the scenes as we continue building the Shark Coast identity and sharing the stories of our players, teams, and community.
Terry Lippens
Terry Lippens continues to play a major role throughout Shark Coast FC as Chief Community Officer, UPSL Director, and Community League Director. This season, Terry will also coach our U13 N1 Premier 2 team and U11 GCF Division 1 team.
His involvement at multiple levels reflects one of the core ideas behind Shark Coast FC: keeping the different stages of our club connected as players grow.
Marc Torrado
Marc Torrado will coach our U10 Boys competing in GCF Regional.
Marc brings a strong soccer background to Shark Coast FC, including collegiate playing experience at the University of Charleston, where he earned All-American honors and was part of a national runner-up team.
His experience adds another valuable perspective to the development of our younger players.
Nestor Ferreiro
Nestor Ferreiro will work at the foundation of our competitive pathway, coaching our U9 White team in GCF Local and joining Nate Monsanto with our U8 Futures Boys.
The Futures program plays an especially important role at Shark Coast FC because it helps introduce young players to a more developmental and competitive environment while preparing them for the next stage of club soccer.
Nic Fischer | Goalkeeper Director
Goalkeepers have their own unique development needs, and Nic Fischer joins the Shark Coast FC staff as our Goalkeeper Director.
Nic also serves as the goalkeeper coach for both the Stetson University Men’s and Women’s Soccer programs, bringing collegiate-level goalkeeper coaching experience directly into the Shark Coast development environment.
As Goalkeeper Director, Nic will help establish a consistent approach to goalkeeper development across the club, providing specialized instruction and helping our keepers progress as they move through different age groups and competitive levels.
His addition gives Shark Coast FC another important piece of the overall player development pathway and provides our goalkeepers with dedicated leadership at their position.
Growing the Girls Pathway
The Shark Coast pathway continues to grow on the girls’ side as well.
This season, our girls program includes teams competing in the Florida Girls League and N1 Premier 1, creating a clearer progression for female players as they develop within Shark Coast FC.
Shark Coast FC U18 Girls | N1 Premier 1
At the top of our competitive girls youth pathway, the Shark Coast FC U18 Girls will compete in N1 Premier 1.
The team will be coached by Nate Monsanto, Denise Davalos, and Tori Martino, bringing together three coaches who are involved at multiple levels of the Shark Coast FC girls and women’s programs.
Competing in N1 Premier 1 provides our U18 players with another high-level opportunity as they approach college soccer and the next stages of their playing careers.
Just as importantly, it gives younger Shark Coast girls something they can see in front of them: another level to work toward without having to leave their local club.
Tori Martino | U12 Girls
In addition to coaching the U18 Girls, Tori Martino will coach our U12 Girls competing in the Florida Girls League.
Working with players at both the U12 and U18 levels gives Tori an opportunity to help connect different stages of the girls development pathway and establish expectations that can carry with players as they progress through the club.
Denise Davalos | U10 Girls
Denise Davalos will also work with our U18 Girls while coaching the U10 Girls in the Florida Girls League.
At U10, development is about much more than results. It’s about building technical ability, confidence, decision-making, and a love for competing.
Having Denise involved with both U10 and U18 creates another connection between the beginning of the competitive girls pathway and where those players may eventually go.
Together, Nate, Denise, and Tori are helping establish a stronger foundation for girls soccer at Shark Coast FC and a pathway we expect to continue expanding.
Building the Pathway From the Ground Up
One of the most important parts of the Shark Coast FC model is that these teams aren’t intended to operate as separate islands.
They’re connected.
A player competing in Futures today can see U9, U10, U11, and U12 teams ahead of them. Those players can see opportunities in National 1 and the Florida Regional League. Older players can look toward USL Academy, UPSL, college soccer, USL League Two, and potentially beyond.
Our girls can see that progression too—from the Florida Girls League at U10 and U12 to an N1 Premier 1 U18 team and opportunities beyond youth soccer.
That pathway has been years in the making.
The club’s previous development plans focused on creating stronger competitive opportunities locally, expanding high-level training, strengthening college recruiting opportunities, and giving Volusia County players access to levels of soccer that historically required significantly more travel.
Now, that pathway continues to take shape under the Shark Coast FC name.
Different Coaches. One Philosophy.
Every coach brings something different to the field.
Some bring experience working with younger players. Others work with athletes approaching the college game. Some specialize in technical development, tactical development, athletic performance, or goalkeeping.
But they’re all working toward the same larger goal.
We want Shark Coast FC players to be challenged.
We want them to learn.
We want them to compete.
We want them to enjoy the game.
And, most importantly, we want them to have the opportunity to discover how far soccer can take them.
That’s why building a strong coaching staff matters just as much as building strong teams.
More Than What’s on the Schedule
Throughout the 2026–27 season, Shark Coast FC players will experience different levels of league play, tournaments, showcases, camps, and other competitive opportunities.
Those experiences provide players with different challenges and new opportunities to test what they’ve learned in training.
Behind every one of those experiences is a coach preparing players for more than the next result.
They’re preparing them for the next level.
The People Behind the Pathway
Shark Coast FC’s coaching staff works alongside the club’s leadership team, including Sporting Director and USL2/USL Academy Director Nate Monsanto, Chief Community Officer and UPSL Director Terry Lippens, Executive Director and Director of Coaching Joshua Daniels, and Goalkeeper Director Nic Fischer.
Together with Donovann Castro, Jared Tolly, Adam Benrahou, Gio Rodriguez, Marc Torrado, Nestor Ferreiro, Denise Davalos, Tori Martino, and the rest of the Shark Coast FC staff, they’re helping build something that extends well beyond a single team or season.
Shark Coast FC’s long-term vision has always been centered around growing the game locally, strengthening development opportunities, and creating a soccer environment where players from New Smyrna Beach and throughout Volusia County don’t have to look elsewhere simply to find their next opportunity.
Welcome to the 2026–27 Season
To our coaches: thank you for investing your time, knowledge, and energy into our players.
To our families: thank you for trusting our staff with your players’ development.
And to our players: take advantage of the people around you. Ask questions. Work hard. Be coachable. Compete. And enjoy the journey.
There’s a lot ahead of us this season.
New teams. New leagues. New challenges. New opportunities.
But we’re approaching all of it together.
One Club. One Coast. One Pathway.
This is Shark Coast FC.
Meet the people behind the club and learn more about the Shark Coast FC coaching staff at sharkcoastfc.com/staff/.
