Houston Dash Announce Staff Promotions and Nine New Additions Ahead of 2026 Season
- Jonathan Turner
- Feb 11
- 3 min read
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
HOUSTON (Feb. 11, 2026) – The Houston Dash announced two internal promotions and the addition of nine new staff members across the club’s technical, performance, medical and sporting operations departments ahead of the 2026 season.
“Building a high-performance culture requires continuity, growth and the right support around our players and staff,” President of Women’s Soccer Angela Hucles Mangano said. “These additions and promotions strengthen our foundation and elevate the day-to-day operations that are vital to our team’s success.”
NEED TO KNOW
Houston Dash announce nine new staff members ahead of the 2026 NWSL season
Additions span coaching, player development, performance, medical and operations roles
Wafaa Chatila promoted to Director of Medical; Gina Monaco elevated to Equipment Manager
Promotions
Wafaa Chatila has been promoted to Director of Medical after previously serving as the club’s Head Athletic Trainer. A Texas native, Chatila joined the Dash in January 2024 following two seasons leading the athletic training department at the Kansas City Current. Her background includes experience across professional and Division I collegiate athletics, with previous roles at Texas Tech University, the University of Texas at Arlington and the University of Houston.
Gina Monaco was elevated to Equipment Manager and enters her second season with the club. Monaco joined the Dash ahead of the 2025 campaign and brings nearly a decade of professional sports operations experience. She previously worked with the San Antonio Stars, San Antonio Spurs and Las Vegas Aces, serving as Head Equipment Manager during the Aces’ 2022 WNBA Championship season.
Coaching & Player Development Additions
Oscar Rivero joins the Dash as an Assistant Coach, bringing more than a decade of experience across professional, collegiate and youth soccer. Most recently with Oakland Roots SC (USL Championship), Rivero has also held coaching roles with Bavarian United SC in Chicago, Loyola University Chicago and the Puerto Rico Men’s National Team.
Former MLS standout Matt Pickens adds significant playing and coaching experience as an Assistant Coach and Goalkeeper Coach. Pickens spent five seasons as Goalkeeper Coach at Nashville SC following a 16-year professional playing career that included winning the 2010 MLS Cup with the Colorado Rapids and earning 2019 USL Goalkeeper of the Year honors.
Marina Schachowskoj has been hired as Player Development Coach. She most recently served as Head Coach of Flatirons FC’s USL W League team and previously worked as an Assistant Coach and Performance Analyst with El Paso Locomotive FC (USL Championship). Her background also includes serving as Technical Director for Colorado United and coaching within the Rapids Youth Soccer Academy.
Performance & Sports Science
Ariana Dinberg joins the club as Sports Scientist after working with FC Cincinnati and the University of Pittsburgh. She will focus on load management, performance analysis and data visualization to support training periodization, player readiness and injury-risk mitigation.
Jeffery Duarte has been named Strength and Conditioning Coach. Duarte most recently worked with the Kansas City Current, contributing to the club’s 2025 NWSL Shield-winning season through individualized performance programming, injury prevention strategies and periodization planning. His previous roles include Head of Performance with Fort Lauderdale United FC and positions with New York City FC II, the New York Red Bulls organization and Sky Blue FC (now Gotham FC).
Medical & Support Staff
Matthew Hutton has been named Head Athletic Trainer. Hutton joined the organization in December 2022 as an Athletic Trainer for the Houston Dynamo Academy and later served as Assistant Athletic Trainer with Dynamo 2. He brings extensive collegiate experience specializing in injury prevention, rehabilitation and return-to-play protocols.
Hannah Mitroff joins the Dash as Dietitian Fellow. She most recently served as a sports nutrition consultant for Hope College women’s soccer and as a Resident Dietitian with Chartwells K12. Mitroff also supported performance nutrition initiatives within the University of Michigan athletics department.
Nhandi Scott has been added as Physical Therapy Fellow. Scott previously completed a physical therapy residency with Memorial Hermann Health System and a student internship with the San Jose Earthquakes, where she supported first team, second team and academy players through evaluations, rehabilitation and return-to-play programming.
Team Operations
Claire Quaassdorff joins the Dash as Team Administrator. She previously served as Manager of Team Operations for Columbus Crew 2 (MLS NEXT Pro) and Director of Operations for the University of Georgia women’s soccer program. Quaassdorff will oversee daily team operations, travel logistics and league administration.
The full list of Houston Dash technical, coaching, recruiting, medical, support and operations staff is available on the club’s official website. HERE
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