CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — Meet head coach Éamon Zayed. He tells me he's only been in the Coastal Bend for 48 hours, but he's already preparing to build a team from the ground up.
"First and foremost, what is the talent like in the area, and the surrounding areas?" Éamon Zayed, Head Coach, said.
The Ireland native played professionally across Europe, Africa, and the U.S. and says that global experience shapes how he coaches and connects with players and fans.
"I want them to leave the game wanting to come back to the next game," Zayed said.
With a new coach and the Sharks preparing for their first professional season, fans are excited.
"I think the exposure it's gonna get, the attention — not just from everywhere, not just your local, not just the Coastal Bend. The name is gonna be heard around," Sofia Cruz, Soccer Fan, said.
Zayed says tryouts will begin next month, and he's looking for players who show more than just skill on the field.
"Win, lose, or draw, there's characteristics that I look for in my team," Zayed said.
Assistant Coach Manuel Iwabuchi says he can already imagine what that first game day will look like.
"Completely packed. Lots of music, lots of culture, lots of sound," Manuel Iwabuchi, Assistant Coach, said.
He says going pro means more than a new league — it means putting Corpus Christi soccer on the national map.
"It's gonna elevate it because we're on the pro stage now. We're on the national stage now," Iwabuchi said.
"This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page. Subscribe today!
