Dr. Ceri Bowley was appointed as the North Carolina Courage’s Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director on April 30, 2025, bringing a wealth of global expertise and leadership experience in football methodology, coaching development, and talent identification.

With an extensive background spanning elite football organizations in over 15 countries, Bowley most recently served as the Global Lead of Technical Leadership at Double Pass, advising clubs and federations worldwide on football strategy, performance evaluation, and talent development. He simultaneously served as a technical advisor to the ECNL, where both NC Courage Youth and NCFC Youth compete, and was Senior Coaching Pathway Manager at the Premier League.  

Before those three simultaneous positions, he held key roles at City Football Group, where he was Head of Coaching Support, overseeing coaching methodology, staff recruitment, and player development across multiple clubs, including Manchester City.

Bowley has also contributed to the game at all levels, including serving as a First-Team Coach for Rangers FC, where he played a vital role in their UEFA Champions League qualification campaign. His diverse experience in the technical and operational aspects of football will be instrumental in shaping the on-field future of the Courage.

Bowley holds his UEFA A License, which he earned in 2016, and is working towards his UEFA Pro license and Postgraduate Diploma in Global Football Sports Directorship from the PFA Business School. He earned his PhD in Sport Psychology/Coaching Science from Cardiff Metropolitan University in 2015.

Bowley was born in Brecon, Wales, and moved from Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, to the Triangle with his wife, Lauren, and their three children.

Mak Lind was introduced as the third head coach in NC Courage history on January 24, 2026. Lind joined the Courage from Swedish side BK Häcken Women, where he most recently guided the club to the 2025 Damallsvenskan title, finishing atop the table with a 21-1-4 record and a +68 goal differential. He joined Häcken in July 2023, leading the club to a second-place league finish in 2024 before capturing the championship in 2025. During his tenure, Lind also oversaw Häcken’s run to the 2023–24 UEFA Women’s Champions League quarterfinals, where the club fell to Paris Saint-Germain.

Lind brings nearly a decade of experience as a head coach and manager in Sweden, having led professional clubs since 2016. Prior to joining BK Häcken Women, he spent the majority of his coaching career in the men’s game, earning a reputation for tactical clarity and player development.

A former center back, Lind began his professional playing career at age 15 and totaled 256 senior appearances. He spent the majority of his playing career with BK Häcken, where he eventually served as club captain. Internationally, Lind earned 10 caps with the Lebanese men’s national team between 2013 and 2015 and was named to the IFFHS All-Time Lebanon Men’s Dream Team in 2022. Born in Lebanon, Lind later moved to Sweden and holds Swedish citizenship.   

Emma Thomson brings extensive experience as both a former professional player and a coach across collegiate, academy, youth national team, and professional environments. Now in her sixth season with the North Carolina Courage organization, she plays an integral role in training design, the development of club methodology, individual player development, and tactical analysis.

Originally from Nottinghamshire, England, Thomson developed through the Doncaster Rovers Belles and represented England Youth National Teams before moving to the United States in 2008 to play collegiate soccer at Penn State University. A four-year starter and two-year captain, she was named Defender of the Year and helped the Nittany Lions secure four consecutive Big Ten regular-season championships and four NCAA Tournament appearances. She went on to play professionally with the Boston Breakers and Doncaster Rovers Belles before transitioning into coaching.

Thomson began her coaching career as a graduate assistant at St. John’s University, followed by four seasons as an assistant coach at George Mason University, where her responsibilities included player development, recruiting, and tactical preparation. Alongside her collegiate role, she also served as a head coach within the FC Virginia Girls Academy.

She joined the North Carolina Courage in 2020, initially working within the academy before being promoted to a full-time assistant coach with the first team in 2022. In addition to her club responsibilities, Thomson has served as an assistant coach with U.S. Youth National Teams, contributing to player identification, development, and preparation within the U.S. Soccer pathway. Since joining the Courage’s professional staff, she has helped the team achieve domestic success, including NWSL Challenge Cup titles in 2022 and 2023.

Thomson holds a U.S. Socer A License, a B.S. in Kinesiology from Penn State University, an M.A. in Sports Management from St. John’s University, and a Master's in Tactical Periodization.

Jessica Silva brings both domestic and international experience to the Courage staff. She was appointed as the first-ever head coach of Brooklyn FC in the Gainbridge USL Super League, leading the team to the top of the table at the winter break and an overall record of 8W-5D-8L during her tenure. Born in Montreal with Portuguese and Italian heritage, Silva also has extensive coaching experience in both Canada and France, most notably as head coach of historic French club FC Metz. 

David Maddren joins the Courage coaching staff ahead of the 2026 season, bringing a wealth of youth and collegiate coaching experience to the professional level. Maddren has served as the NC Courage Academy Director since 2022 and was the Assistant Director of the academy for five years prior to being promoted. The native of Middlesbrough, England, started with then-CASL in 2015 after spending four years as an assistant coach for Mississippi College.

Maddren has a Master’s Degree in Athletic Administration and a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Performance in Exercise Science with a concentration in Coaching. Maddren holds a U.S. Soccer A Senior License.

Maddren is the husband to Lynlee and the pair have three children. Maddren is a self-proclaimed average golfer.

Katelyn Rowland joined the staff as an assistant goalkeeper coach in 2025 after retiring from a decorated professional playing career. She played eight NWSL seasons, including six with the Courage, and claimed nine NWSL trophies as a player. She won four NWSL Championships in five years between 2015 and 2019, capturing the Shield in the lone season without a championship in 2017. She’ll be tasked with leading a brand-new goalkeeping unit for the Courage in 2026.

Austin da Luz is a former professional soccer player whose career spans success at both the collegiate and professional levels. He played at Wake Forest University from 2006–2009, helping lead the Demon Deacons to the 2007 NCAA National Championship while appearing in four consecutive College Cups and winning two ACC regular-season titles. A team captain and standout performer, he earned First Team All-ACC and First Team NSCAA All-South Region honors and remains Wake Forest’s all-time assists leader.

Drafted 14th overall in the first round of the 2010 MLS SuperDraft by the New York Red Bulls, da Luz went on to make more than 200 professional appearances during his decade-long career across stints with the Red Bulls, D.C. United, Orlando City SC, and North Carolina FC. During his time with North Carolina FC, he was a team captain, receiving the club’s annual Leadership award 4 times, and its annual Community Impact award 5 times. He recently completed FOCUS Sports Business School’s Women’s Football Directorship Program as part of the program’s inaugural cohort.

Off the field, da Luz is deeply committed to community impact. In 2017 he founded Playing for Pride, a fundraising campaign supporting Athlete Ally that has raised over $250,000 and mobilized hundreds of professional athletes worldwide in advancing LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport. For his advocacy and activism, da Luz was named the 2017 NASL Humanitarian of the year. Playing for Pride continues to run annually during Pride month.

Grant Barge brings more than two decades of leadership experience forged in the United States Army to his work in professional soccer. A retired Lieutenant Colonel and former Special Operations officer, Grant served over 20 years leading teams in high-pressure environments around the world, including time in the 75th Ranger Regiment and as an instructor at West Point. Throughout his military career, he specialized in building resilient teams, developing emerging leaders, and creating cultures rooted in trust, accountability, and purpose — principles that now anchor his approach to athlete and staff development.

Following his military service, Grant transitioned into professional soccer, where he has become a pioneer in the role of Director of Leadership. He previously served with New York City FC and Real Salt Lake, designing and delivering leadership programs across first teams, second teams, and academies. Working daily with players, coaches, and executives, he built systems that strengthen communication, mental performance, and player-led culture, helping athletes lead themselves, lead their teammates, and perform under pressure.

Now with North Carolina Courage, Grant continues that mission at the highest level of the women’s game — partnering with players and staff to develop resilient leaders, connected teams, and the championship standards required to win at the highest level. His work blends the mindset of an elite military leader with the heart of a coach and mentor, committed to helping both individuals and teams reach their full potential.

Mercedes Cunningham joins the Courage this season after working at UNC-Chapel Hill for the past 4 years. At UNC, Cunningham built out her manual therapy repertoire while also being heavily integrated into promoting student-athlete mental health and teaching suicide prevention to athletics, utilizing her QPR suicide prevention instructor certification.

Beyond her interest in being an advocate for the mental health of student-athletes, Cunningham has been diving into the biomechanics world, where much of her professional interests lie. In those four years, collaborating with the human movement lab and her strength coach, she built out a screening program focused on analyzing individual student-athlete movement and utilizing the VALD systems for better performance objective data. They would then implement individualized exercise/movement programs aimed at decreasing risk of injury for each student-athlete, utilizing the results from that screening.

Cunningham worked at Seton Hall University from 2017-2022, her alma mater, as an assistant athletic trainer for the women’s volleyball team and baseball team. While at Seton Hall, she became involved in concussion research as well as starting her journey with motion capture analysis and biomechanics assessments.

Prior to Seton Hall, Cunningham was a resident athletic trainer from 2014-2017 at Boston College working with women’s volleyball, field hockey and women’s lacrosse. During this time and into her time at SHU, she served as the athletic trainer for a few international tours with the USA U19 women’s field hockey teams.

Cunningham is a graduate of Seton Hall University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in social and behavioral sciences as well as her master’s degree in athletic training. Cunningham originally hails from Bethlehem, N.H., and resides in Durham.

Brian C. Lau, MD, MPH, is a dual fellowship–trained orthopaedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine (knee, shoulder), and foot/ankle surgery. He is an Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Duke University Sport Science Institute with extensive experience caring for professional, collegiate, and youth athletes.

Dr. Lau serves as the Medical Director of one of three FIFA-accredited Medical Centers in the United States and has broad team coverage experience. He has clinical and research expertise on soccer-related injuries, ACL reconstruction, knee preservation, and return-to-play decision-making. He is also Co-Director of Sports Medicine Research at Duke and Associate Fellowship Director of the Orthopaedic Sports Medicine and Shoulder Fellowship. He serves on numerous national society committees and regularly speaks at regional, national, and international conferences.

Kendall Bradley, MD, is a fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine, with a subspecialty focus in pediatric and adolescent sports medicine at the Duke University Sports Science Institute.

Dr. Bradley played collegiate soccer at Duke University, where she served as a team captain and was a member of the All-ACC Academic Team. She completed her medical school and orthopaedic surgery residency at Duke, followed by a sports medicine fellowship at University of California-San Francisco. She further specialized in pediatric and adolescent sports medicine through additional training at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Dr. Bradley currently serves as a team physician for Duke Athletics, including the women’s soccer team. She is actively involved in national sports medicine societies and holds leadership roles as Director of Medical Student Education and Medical Director of Duke Cary Sports Medicine and Orthopedics. Her clinical and research interests include women’s health, pediatric sports medicine, and soccer-related injuries.

Kathryn Page is the Director of Soccer Operations for the North Carolina Courage. She brings a player-centered approach to her role overseeing all aspects of player support and operational logistics, ensuring athletes feel welcomed, supported, and prepared to succeed outside the lines of the soccer field. She leads initiatives that span travel, housing, equipment, meals, community engagement, and overall player wellbeing, with a focus on creating a seamless and positive environment for the team. Prior to the Courage, Page worked for US Soccer Federation and the US Olympic Committee. Page played collegiate soccer at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and holds a degree in Sports Management from North Carolina State University.

Matt Holmes is entering his fourth season on the Courage staff and 10th overall season working in college or professional soccer. Before joining the Courage, Holmes spent two seasons with Campbell University Women's Soccer and four seasons with Washington State University Women's Soccer. Holmes spent time as an intern with the Seattle Reign in 2016 and NWSL in 2020 during the first Challenge Cup. 

Hailing from Spokane, Washington, Holmes graduated from Washington State University. He is one of five siblings and has four nieces and nephews. Away from socces, Holmes is a Lakers and Dodgers fan, as well as a movie buff.

Lexi Stewart is entering her fourth season overall with the Courage and second as Player Care Manager. A Huntersville, North Carolina, native, Stewart graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2023 with a degree in Sports Administration and Communications. During her time at the university, Stewart worked as a student manager for UNC's historically great women's soccer program. Stewart recently obtained an advanced certificate in First Team Player Care. Stewart made balloon animals for every player's birthday during the 2024 season. 

Outside of soccer, Stewart enjoys cooking and training for triathlons.  

Jess Segalla is in her fourth season on the Courage operations staff. Born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Segalla graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University with a degree in Sport Management and previously worked for U.S. Soccer before joining the Courage. In addition to her time with the U.S. Youth Soccer program, Segalla worked for The Ripken Experience Pigeon Forge and Traction Sports Performance. 

When not working, Segalla can usually be found hanging out with her dog, Rocky, or FaceTiming with family and friends back home, who throw watch parties for the Courage matches each week.

Adriana Zorrilla Loo joins the Courage staff ahead of the 2026 season from the Columbus Crew organization, where she was the Assistant Equipment Manager for the Crew's academy. Hailing from Lima, Peru, Zorrilla played for the Peruvian Youth National Teams from ages 14-18 and moved to the U.S. to play college soccer at Alabama State University. She holds Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Sports Management from Alabama State and the University of Indianapolis, respectively.  

Outside of soccer, Zorrilla Loo loves her home country of Peru and her family, staying close with both regardless of distance. She enjoys ceviche and her mom's cooking, as well as reggaeton, salsa, and other Spanish music.