Leigh Veidman, Dr. Gareth Smith set out to build Velocity’s roster ahead of inaugural season

The next generation of men’s soccer will be guided by two central figures who are new to the Spokane community.

Leigh Veidman and Dr. Gareth Smith are actively working to assemble a first-class roster and technical staff to support the Spokane Velocity FC expansion franchise.

Veidman as head coach and Smith as sporting department consultant – essentially a specialized technical director – have spent the past few weeks tweaking and aligning strategies and cultures to match the Velocity vision.

At an event at the Hemmingson Center on Gonzaga’s campus Friday, Veidman and Smith were introduced to the public for the first time.

The two are European born, with heavy English and Scottish accents, respectively, which naturally projected comfort with their approaches to the game and to the culture they want to build in Spokane.

Veidman, a Liverpool, England, native, said an opportunity to grow a club from the ground up was most intriguing to him. He doesn’t remember the exact timeline from applying for the job to the official offer, but he knew from the first conversations with owners Katie and Ryan Harnetiaux that he was in the right place.

“I had to really dial in on the identity of the club,” Veidman said. “What are the community wants and needs? What were the values and the mission of the club? Did all of those things align, first of all, and then putting that together on the field? From community to the mission and values of the club, where we’re going as an organization where we want to go, all of those pieces have got to fit together to bring success on the field.”

He made it clear that success for an expansion club is far from guaranteed and shouldn’t be expected overnight, but with the proper pieces in place from the front office down to the technical staff, top of the table success is possible.

Veidman reinforced his prior experience – that ranges from playing to coaching for now half of his life – will benefit Spokane as it learns how to be a professional franchise.

Growing up playing in Liverpool’s youth academy, his style of play reflects how they play.

It also gave him values on how to play and how to coach.

“I really live by four values,” he said. “It’s honesty, it is respect, it is accountability, and it is work ethic.

“I think if you get those four things right in training, you are going to create a whole environment that is going to drive forward.”

Veidman was the choice out of dozens of applicants, so his appreciation toward the club and the Harnetiauxes was reflected in his words.

“A lot of coaches would literally bite your hand off at the chance to have this position,” Veidman said. “So that’s why I emphasize that I’m very fortunate to be in this position.”

The head coach will work in lockstep with Smith as the two build the roster from zero to around 20 senior players.

With two open tryouts – one in Seattle and one in Spokane – in the rearview mirror, the next steps will be to reach out to agents and other clubs about player availability and interest.

Spokane has pinpointed a couple of players who they will look to sign before the MLS draft on Tuesday. Spokane will be eyeballing the undrafted players to see who doesn’t get picked up by MLS squads over the week’s post draft.

“You get the core of your roster built up to that point, but you leave some spots available because you’re going to have some really high-level guys (come available),” Veidman said. “You don’t want to close the door too soon.

“There is a lot of talent there. Naturally, some of those guys stay in the MLS and some of them don’t.”

Smith and Veidman – and the rest of the staff – have been devoted to roster building over the last couple of weeks.

Besides the draft, the staff identified players in youth leagues and college ranks who are ready to take a professional step.

There are also pros who might be looking for a new opportunity, such as more playing time or a team that better suits their style of play.

After those steps, they have also been building an established network of agents with whom they can communicate about pools of players.

“We just have to figure out if they’re the right fit for the organization,” Smith said. “We’re quite intentional about it. It’s not always an exact science.”

As the sporting department consultant, Smith will be involved in the roster construction, but not how a standard sporting director typically is – which would essentially be a general manager of a team.

Smith has more than 20 years of experience in coaching and leadership across the globe, including being a technical leader and coach educator for the U.S. Soccer Federation and an assistant coach of the Senior Men’s National Team U.S. Virgin Islands Soccer Association.

He also was the head coach at Drake University for six seasons.

Between agreeing with the club’s values and wanting to win, Smith feels right at home in Spokane as the Pacific Northwest’s weather reminds him of his Scottish roots.

It will be his job to make sure the front office’s business and mission vision is aligned with the scouting department. Having that integration is a huge priority, he said.

First is finding players and staff who want to grow as people on and off the pitch, but advancing what the team wants to do for the Spokane community is also important.

While building the roster and the rest of the staff, Smith will look to connect the club to the various organizations throughout Spokane, including youth soccer and college soccer programs.

“It’s called entering the community properly, connecting with people and making sure they know we’re here and we’re here to serve and support,” Smith said.

Success will follow, he said.

“(We want) a team that’s competing, doing well, and putting a really good experience on the pitch for people,” Smith said.

Veidman and Smith’s eye for talent will be necessary at constructing a roster that is built for longevity and for monetary sense.

Any team with deep pockets can buy a roster, but Spokane hopes to develop young and burgeoning talent.

“It’s a long-term strategy,” Smith said. “If you’re developing talent, you don’t have to go by it. That’s a very expensive process.”

The league stipulates a seven-man maximum limit on international players. The rest must be domestic players.

Smith said that is a strategic approach by the league to keep costs down and competition high. It also helps foster soccer’s growth in the United States.