Northwestern University Athletics
Payne Announces Additions to Men’s Soccer Staff
7/9/2021 9:26:00 AM | Men's Soccer
EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern men's soccer head coach Russell Payne has completed assembling his staff with the hiring of assistant coaches Krystian Witkowski and Ricardo Pinto and director of operations Aziz Tahir.
"We have assembled a staff that will pursue performance excellence in all areas and will demonstrate the highest degree of care for our student-athletes," said Payne. We are excited for what is ahead for this program."
Krystian Witkowski
A familiar face next to Payne on the sidelines, Witkowski spent the last five years as an assistant coach at Army West Point. He brings a wealth of experience from both the collegiate and professional levels.
Witkowski played a major role in the development of Army's 2020 class, which featured the program's first-ever Major League Soccer Superdraft selection and one of the program's all-time best scorers. Zac McGraw was selected in the third round by the Portland Timbers following his 2019 senior season, while Keenan O'Shea wrapped up his collegiate career ranked inside the Top-10 for program history in career points (60), goals (23) and assists (14). Both were All-Patriot League performers in the 2019 season as the duo garnered second team accolades.
He was also instrumental in the Black Knights' recruiting efforts during his time with the program, highlighted by back-to-back national ranked recruiting classes: 2021 class ranked No. 24 by Top Drawer Soccer & 2020 class ranked No. 18 by Top Drawer Soccer.
Witkowski came to West Point after serving as a Performance Analyst with the New York Red Bulls in MLS. During his time with the Red Bulls, Witkowski was tasked with utilizing video and data analysis for purposes of scouting, recruitment, and match analysis. He also assisted the technical staff in developing training sessions, while helping organize pre- and post-match tactical video sessions.
Witkowski worked as an assistant coach from 2013-16 with the men's soccer program at Marist, his alma mater. In his three years, he developed and conducted training sessions, strength, fitness and regenerative programs. He recruited prospective student-athletes and handled the recruitment database, while also serving as an academic liaison with the student-athletes.
As a student-athlete at Marist, Witkowski was a three-time All-MAAC First Team selection and a two-time NSCAA All-North Atlantic Region Second Team honoree. He also earned CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-District First Team and Second Team nods during the 2011 and 2010 seasons, respectively. The Rochester, N.Y., native was named to the MAAC All-Academic Team in three of his four seasons as well.
In 71 games played for the Red Foxes, Witkowski started 67 of them. He compiled 54 total points, 21 career goals and seven game-winners.
Witkowski also played for the U-18 Polish National Team and for the Philadelphia Union for a season after being drafted in 2012. He received his Master's in Sports Management from Columbia in 2016.
Ricardo Pinto
Pinto comes to Northwestern after serving as an assistant coach down Sheridan Road at Loyola University Chicago. He was with the Ramblers since February of 2019 and helped the program to 18 wins in two seasons, including the 2019 Missouri Valley Conference title and an NCAA tournament appearance.
Pinto joined Loyola after a one-year stint at University of North Carolina-Wilmington, where the team qualified for the 2018 NCAA tournament with a 12-5-3 record. Under his guidance, the Seahawks finished 18th nationally in goals-against-average and 19th nationally in team save percentage. Pinto also coached goalkeeper Ryan Cretens to a Second Team All-CAA honor.
A 2016 graduate of University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Pinto's first job out of college was spending the 2017 season at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. He helped the Hatters post a 7-7-2 record and capture the Atlantic Sun Conference regular season championship. He coached the conference's Goalkeeper of the Year in Joseph Melong and ASUN Freshman of the Year Deniz Dogan as the Hatters finished conference play unbeaten at a 4-0-2 clip.
Pinto was also a member of the coaching staff at GPS Florida, serving as the Director of Goalkeeping while acting as the head coach for the U-12 GPS Florida Select I team.
Prior to his arrival at Stetson, Pinto served as an assistant coach at Iowa Lakes Community College. The program registered a 14-5-0 record and earned a No. 15 national ranking with him on staff.
A native of Beaverton, Oregon, Pinto earned his 'D' license from the United States Soccer Federation in December of 2017. That same year, he earned his master's degree from the University of South Dakota in Sport Management.
Aziz Tahir
Tahir comes to Northwestern as the men's soccer director of operations after most recently splitting roles with Chicago Fire FC and the United States Soccer Federation.
Tahir served as a staff coach for Chicago Fire Juniors City prior to taking his role in Evanston. While with the club, his responsibilities included planning and organizing practice sessions and conducting evaluations of individual and team performances. Since January of 2020, Tahir was also an equipment manager for the USSF, overseeing equipment operations for Youth National Team camps and tournaments.
The Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, native was a men's soccer student-athlete at Western Illinois from 2015-18, where he appeared in 31 career games. Tahir earned a bachelor's in business and marketing from WIU, before obtaining his master's in sport management from his alma mater in 2019. Tahir worked in team operations and was a volunteer coach for WIU's 2019 men's soccer season, when the Leathernecks won the Summit League regular season title.
"We have assembled a staff that will pursue performance excellence in all areas and will demonstrate the highest degree of care for our student-athletes," said Payne. We are excited for what is ahead for this program."
Krystian Witkowski
A familiar face next to Payne on the sidelines, Witkowski spent the last five years as an assistant coach at Army West Point. He brings a wealth of experience from both the collegiate and professional levels.
Witkowski played a major role in the development of Army's 2020 class, which featured the program's first-ever Major League Soccer Superdraft selection and one of the program's all-time best scorers. Zac McGraw was selected in the third round by the Portland Timbers following his 2019 senior season, while Keenan O'Shea wrapped up his collegiate career ranked inside the Top-10 for program history in career points (60), goals (23) and assists (14). Both were All-Patriot League performers in the 2019 season as the duo garnered second team accolades.
He was also instrumental in the Black Knights' recruiting efforts during his time with the program, highlighted by back-to-back national ranked recruiting classes: 2021 class ranked No. 24 by Top Drawer Soccer & 2020 class ranked No. 18 by Top Drawer Soccer.
Witkowski came to West Point after serving as a Performance Analyst with the New York Red Bulls in MLS. During his time with the Red Bulls, Witkowski was tasked with utilizing video and data analysis for purposes of scouting, recruitment, and match analysis. He also assisted the technical staff in developing training sessions, while helping organize pre- and post-match tactical video sessions.
Witkowski worked as an assistant coach from 2013-16 with the men's soccer program at Marist, his alma mater. In his three years, he developed and conducted training sessions, strength, fitness and regenerative programs. He recruited prospective student-athletes and handled the recruitment database, while also serving as an academic liaison with the student-athletes.
As a student-athlete at Marist, Witkowski was a three-time All-MAAC First Team selection and a two-time NSCAA All-North Atlantic Region Second Team honoree. He also earned CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-District First Team and Second Team nods during the 2011 and 2010 seasons, respectively. The Rochester, N.Y., native was named to the MAAC All-Academic Team in three of his four seasons as well.
In 71 games played for the Red Foxes, Witkowski started 67 of them. He compiled 54 total points, 21 career goals and seven game-winners.
Witkowski also played for the U-18 Polish National Team and for the Philadelphia Union for a season after being drafted in 2012. He received his Master's in Sports Management from Columbia in 2016.
Ricardo Pinto
Pinto comes to Northwestern after serving as an assistant coach down Sheridan Road at Loyola University Chicago. He was with the Ramblers since February of 2019 and helped the program to 18 wins in two seasons, including the 2019 Missouri Valley Conference title and an NCAA tournament appearance.
Pinto joined Loyola after a one-year stint at University of North Carolina-Wilmington, where the team qualified for the 2018 NCAA tournament with a 12-5-3 record. Under his guidance, the Seahawks finished 18th nationally in goals-against-average and 19th nationally in team save percentage. Pinto also coached goalkeeper Ryan Cretens to a Second Team All-CAA honor.
A 2016 graduate of University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Pinto's first job out of college was spending the 2017 season at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. He helped the Hatters post a 7-7-2 record and capture the Atlantic Sun Conference regular season championship. He coached the conference's Goalkeeper of the Year in Joseph Melong and ASUN Freshman of the Year Deniz Dogan as the Hatters finished conference play unbeaten at a 4-0-2 clip.
Pinto was also a member of the coaching staff at GPS Florida, serving as the Director of Goalkeeping while acting as the head coach for the U-12 GPS Florida Select I team.
Prior to his arrival at Stetson, Pinto served as an assistant coach at Iowa Lakes Community College. The program registered a 14-5-0 record and earned a No. 15 national ranking with him on staff.
A native of Beaverton, Oregon, Pinto earned his 'D' license from the United States Soccer Federation in December of 2017. That same year, he earned his master's degree from the University of South Dakota in Sport Management.
Aziz Tahir
Tahir comes to Northwestern as the men's soccer director of operations after most recently splitting roles with Chicago Fire FC and the United States Soccer Federation.
Tahir served as a staff coach for Chicago Fire Juniors City prior to taking his role in Evanston. While with the club, his responsibilities included planning and organizing practice sessions and conducting evaluations of individual and team performances. Since January of 2020, Tahir was also an equipment manager for the USSF, overseeing equipment operations for Youth National Team camps and tournaments.
The Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, native was a men's soccer student-athlete at Western Illinois from 2015-18, where he appeared in 31 career games. Tahir earned a bachelor's in business and marketing from WIU, before obtaining his master's in sport management from his alma mater in 2019. Tahir worked in team operations and was a volunteer coach for WIU's 2019 men's soccer season, when the Leathernecks won the Summit League regular season title.
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