ATLANTA (Dec. 15, 2025) - Atlanta United 2 today announced that it has promoted Jose Silva to head coach. The Spain-native was named interim head coach on July 23, 2025 after the departure of Steve Cooke. Silva will report to Director of Methodology Javier Peréz, who oversees the player pathway from the Academy to the second team.
Silva’s staff will consist of assistant coach Will Bates, who is being promoted from his U-16 Academy head coach role, goalkeeper coach Lewis Sharpe and video analyst Ricky Wolff. Colby Childress, who was the U-13 Academy head coach last season, has been promoted to take over the U-16 head coaching role vacated by Bates.
As interim head coach, Silva posted a 6-5-1 record and the team finished the season with 38 points, its highest finish in club history. ATL UTD 2 earned MLS NEXT Pro Team of the Matchweek twice and saw Academy winger Gabriel Wesseh earn MLS NEXT Pro Rising Star of the Month in August under Silva.
“Jose did an incredible job this past season and we feel extremely confident that he will continue to elevate the second team in its next chapter,” said Peréz. “The balance of supporting the First Team, maintaining a competitive level in MLS NEXT Pro and promoting our Academy talent through our player pathway is a challenge Jose has proven more than capable of managing.”
Silva has been with Atlanta United since 2021, starting as the head coach of the U-19 Academy team until 2022. In his two seasons with the U-19 team, Silva won a UPSL Premier Division Championship and earned back-to-back UPSL Georgia Coach of the Year honors. In 2023, he became ATL UTD 2’s assistant coach under Steve Cooke. Prior to Atlanta, Silva spent time with the Orlando City SC Academy and Monteverde Academy in the USL. His first coaching experience in the United States came at Lindenwood University Belleville from 2014-2018 while simultaneously playing collegiately for the Lynx, where he reached the NAIA Final Four in his first season.
“I am extremely grateful to Javier Peréz and Chris Henderson for their trust and the opportunity to continue with ATL UTD 2,” said Silva. “The Academy continues to develop young players, and this opportunity to work with them through the second team while competing in MLS NEXT Pro is one that I have loved being part of and will continue to pursue.”
