The Savannah Clovers have named veteran coach Mike Powers as the club’s next head coach as they prepare to return to the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) in March 2027. Powers has coached youth teams at Savannah United since 2018 and has experience coaching in the league from his stint as an assistant coach with the former Savannah-based UPSL team Coastal Kings FC. He holds multiple coaching licenses through the United States Soccer Federation.
“Coach Powers knows how to win with players from our area,” Clovers Co-Founder and General Manager Brian Sykes said. “Beyond the scoreboard, he knows how to develop players so they can pursue the next step in their careers. That commitment to growing the sport in our community is a key part of our club’s mission.”
Powers brings a player-centered approach that focuses on building the skills of his athletes.
“I’m a player’s coach first and foremost, little old school hard knocks mixed with a little new school,” Powers said. “I believe in hard work and effort. Soccer is like life where the more you put in, the more you are going to get out of it. My expectations are always high because I know if a player puts in the work they can be great. I’ve seen it, I’ve coached it. Some of the best success stories are not about a team, but about the growth and maturity of individual players.”
The 2027 Clovers roster will be built with local players selected at open tryouts. Powers knows firsthand that the Savannah area produces the caliber of soccer players needed to win a title.
“First, you have got to have the talent to compete in the league, and the good news is we have that,” Powers said. “I have seen young men from our area play and win together for years, some with the original Clovers team, then to the Coastal Kings and potentially the reborn Clovers. Tapping into that pool of skilled local players can give us the continuity that is a key component to success.”
The mission of the Clovers to grow the game in the Savannah area is a passion Powers shares.
“I feel like a home grown coach because my entire coaching career has been here in Savannah,” Powers said. “I started out as a JV Coach with Saint Vincent’s Academy, then to club soccer with Savannah United and UPSL experience with the Coastal Kings FC to now the Clovers. My coaching career is rooted in Savannah, so come support your local soccer players as well as your local head coach.
Open tryouts are set for 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, at the newly opened Garden City Recreation Complex. Prospective players must be at least 17, and registration is required.