From turning his passion into a Major League Soccer (MLS) career, Head Coach Austin Washington leads through a constructive approach. With the guidance of his older brother and coach, Washington was drafted in 2008 to the Chicago Fire. Five weeks later, on February 27, he made his MLS debut against the Dorados.
While the transition from a Division III program at Whitworth College to playing Division I at Gonzaga University was a significant shift, Washington was completely unprepared for the magnitude of change he encountered, after his training with the Houston Dynamo, an MLS team.
“Before my Senior Year of college, I went [and] trained with both the Houston Dynamo and Chicago Fire. [They] gave me a chance to learn what it was like to play in all this. In both places, the change in level was dramatic. I was not expecting to feel that overwhelmed when I got there that summer,” said Washington.
Following Gonzaga’s National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) tournament appearance, the team attracted considerable attention, prompting several of its players to participate in the MLS Combine. Washington did not receive an invitation to the MLS Combine.
“We made it to the NCAA tournament so it was a big year for us. There were several players on our team that were being considered by other teams… I went to a different combine, one for the USL [United Soccer League], so the league just below the MLS, and I went to that combine not expecting to get much MLS attention at all,” Washington said.
Contrary to his expectations, Washington was selected as the 54th pick in the MLS draft. As he sat in the car with his father, he received the call that he had been signed, marking the beginning of his MLS career.
Washington said, “About halfway between Portland and Washington State or Spokane Washington, [I] got a call from my teammate at Gonzaga who was at the MLS draft. [He] let me know that my name was picked. I was the 54th draft of the MLS SuperDraft. For me, it was really crazy. So I was in the car with my dad confused about what to do.”
After the surprise and excitement of the MLS Draft, Washington joined the Chicago Fire.
“I spent two years playing with the team and loved every minute of it. Playing in Chicago is an experience I will never forget,” he said.
After his MLS career, Washington sought soccer positions nationwide, particularly, at an academy-level. It was during this search that he discovered boarding school. Since then, he has been coaching and teaching, first at Phillips Exeter Academy and now at Andover.
“When I arrived to boarding school, I had to choose how I would fill my commitments as a faculty member. Of course, soccer was an easy choice, but also an opportunity to try something I did not yet know I would grow to love. Coaching, though challenging, has been a fantastic way to interact with students around a game that has mattered so much in my own personal development,” said Washington.
According to Rowan Leckerling ’26, Washington’s active involvement in practices demonstrates genuine care and dedication to each player, pushing them to develop and work hard.
“Coach Washington is a very talented coach. He is always pushing us to communicate better and work harder on the field. I think he along with Coach [Benjamin] Duclos has helped us all to build connections as a team and has created a really successful team… To intensify our workouts, both coaches play in many scrimmages, and their intensity pushes us all to work harder,” said Leckerling.
Teddy Berman ’25, a defender, underscored the value of Washington’s support, particularly because of his own experience as a professional defender. Berman praised Washington’s honesty, constructive feedback, and his role as a mentor to learn from.
“For me being a defender, he talks about how he was a defender in college… He really helps assist you and if you get subbed out. He will tell you how to go about your game. Also, in practice, he’s not afraid to let you know what you’re doing wrong,” said Berman.
Berman continued, “With Coach Washington, the drills have been great. They’re high intensity, energetic, everyone’s trying, there’s really no room for anyone to be slacking.”
