This is paragraph text. Click it or hit the Manage Text button to change the font, color, size, format, and more. To set up site-wide paragraph and title styles, go to Site Theme.
This is paragraph text. Click it or hit the Manage Text button to change the font, color, size, format, and more. To set up site-wide paragraph and title styles, go to Site Theme.
NA
Mike Keeney
Position
MLS NEXT Director
Team(s)
NA
About
MLS NEXT Director | Hoover Vestavia Soccer (HVS)
Mike Keeney brings more than 30 years of elite coaching and leadership experience to Hoover Vestavia Soccer, joining HVS as MLS NEXT Director with a rare blend of domestic, international, and professional expertise.
A UEFA Pro License holder—the highest coaching certification in world football—Mike has built a career defined by professional standards, tactical excellence, and player-centered development. His background spans European professional football, national team environments, MLS NEXT leadership, and U.S. Soccer coach education, positioning him uniquely to lead HVS’s highest-level boys pathway.
Most recently, Mike served as Executive Director and MLS NEXT Director at the historic Clearwater Chargers Soccer Club in Florida. His appointment to HVS marks a full-circle return to Birmingham, where he previously served as Director of Coaching for Hoover Soccer Club and as an Assistant Coach at UAB earlier in his career.
In 2008, Mike moved abroad to coach professionally in Finland, beginning a 13-year career in European professional football. During this time, he coached at the highest levels of the game, including competition in the UEFA Europa League, and worked closely with both senior and youth national teams in the United States and internationally. He is currently on staff with the U.S. U16 National Team.
Beyond the touchline, Mike is a respected leader in coach development, serving as an instructor for the U.S. Soccer ‘A’ License Course, where he helps shape the next generation of American coaches and the methodologies used at the top levels of the game.
At HVS, Mike will lead the MLS NEXT program with a holistic, long-term approach, emphasizing technical mastery, tactical intelligence, professionalism, and mental resilience. His vision is rooted in building an environment that mirrors the demands of professional academies while remaining deeply connected to player growth, character, and leadership.
Mike’s arrival represents a significant step forward for HVS—reinforcing the club’s commitment to elite standards, clear player pathways, and providing athletes in the Greater Birmingham area access to world-class development opportunities.
