SAN DIEGO (Aug. 11, 2025) – San Diego Wave FC today announced several key appointments and internal promotions to its sporting staff. The Wave has welcomed Anja Mittag, Ben Young, Olga Hoyos and Erwin Koenis to the staff and promoted Chris Loxston and Mark Carr into elevated roles within the organization.

“We are really excited to have secured this exceptional group of professionals to continue to grow and develop this organization in their respective fields,” said San Diego Wave FC Sporting Director and General Manager Camille Ashton. “The experience and professionalism this group brings to the Wave is unparalleled and without question will allow the team to continue to strive for success in everything we do. Being able to recruit such high-profile experts is testament to our continued investment in building a world-class environment for player development, performance and Club success.”

Chris Loxston – Technical Director
Loxston has been promoted to Technical Director. He joined the Wave at the start of 2023 as a Tactical Coach and last year served as the Director of Recruitment working with Ashton to bring many of the new incoming players in 2025 to the Wave. Prior to joining the Wave, Loxston built and led the performance insights team at FIFA over a five-year period. Working with renowned technical experts from around the World, Loxston was part of the group who awarded the golden boot, ball and glove at all Men’s and Women’s senior and junior World Cup’s. Loxston also spearheaded the creation of the FIFA Football Language which has become a blueprint for football analysis around the world today. Loxston brings nearly two decades of experience in elite soccer environments to the Wave.

Anja Mittag – Individual Development Coach
Mittag joins the Wave from RB Leipzig where she transitioned into a coaching role following a exceptional playing career. A former German international, Mittag won a gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and competed in three FIFA Women’s World Cups and multiple UEFA European Championships, while retiring as one of Germany’s all-time top scorers. Mittag will work as an Individual Development Coach with the Wave as part of Jonas’ technical staff and will focus daily on working with players on their individual technical and tactical development.

Ben Young – Director of Performance
Young joins Wave FC with over 14 years of experience across MLS, the England National Team and premiere rugby. Most recently, he served as the Head of Strength & Conditioning and End Stage Rehabilitation at Inter Miami CF. Prior to this, Young served in Performance leadership roles with both the Men’s and Women’s England National Teams through multiple World Cup’s and European Championships.

Olga Hoyos – Director of Medical
Hoyos joins Wave FC from Madrid Club de Fútbol Femenino, where she was the Head Physiotherapist. With more than 15 years of experience supporting elite female athletes, Hoyos has worked across multiple levels of Spanish football and brings a deep understanding of injury prevention and recovery specific to the women’s game. Olga will lead our medical team, ensuring the playing group has the best-in-class support.

Erwin Koenis – Head of Analysis and Tactical Coach
Koenis brings more than 15 years of experience as a first-team analyst and tactical coach. He has worked with top clubs in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, including Atlanta United FC, Ajax, FC Utrecht, BV Vitesse, Club Africain, Al Ain FC, Al-Nassr FC, Al-Shabab FC, and NAC Breda BV. Koenis also brings national team experience with the Netherlands’ U-19 and U-20 programs and the World Football Association of Armenia. Having worked with elite level coaches including Erik Ten Hag and Frank De Boer, Koenis brings extensive tactical knowledge to the Wave.

Mark Carr – Director of Player Recruitment
Carr has been promoted to Director of Player Recruitment after leading the Wave’s global scouting efforts for the past two years. He previously served as head coach for U.S. Youth National Teams at the U-15, U-17 and U-20 levels. During his time with U.S. Soccer, Carr also supported the Women’s National Team as an opposition team scout for the 2015 Women’s World Cup. He also worked heavily with the senior team to recruit and promote the best young talent. Carr also has coached at some of the top collegiate programs in the U.S. including UCLA, University of San Francisco, and University of Oklahoma.