VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – Virginia Beach United is excited to announce that head coach Chris Mills will be returning next season for VBU’s 2025 campaign. This exciting news comes after Mills led Virginia Beach to its best season in franchise history in 2024. This past year, Mills’ United squad racked up an impressive 9-1-2 record in the regular season of USL2 play, which secured United’s first-ever postseason appearance. With Mills behind the wheel, Virginia Beach improved its number of goals scored from 2023 by sixteen, decreased its number of goals allowed by ten, and ranked in the top five nationally in scoring defense.
A large reason for Mills’ success in his inaugural season as head coach was his connection to players in the local area. The head man’s winning formula was largely crafted using Hampton Roads college players and former local high school standouts, like leading scorer Ethan Taylor and captains Jonathon Leiding and Alexander Moody. However, it wasn’t just local kids that Mills targeted in the signing process. The former Marlin used his resourcefulness to reach out across the country to find talents such as Juan Valiente and Sammy Murphy, two standouts United fans will hope to see return.
Virginia Beach United is not only thrilled to have Chris Mills returning, but for the culture he instilled to be coming back as well. Mills’ unyielding commitment to winning resonated with every player in the locker room in 2024, leading to a squad that was determined, energized, and hungry for every minute of every match. However, it was Mills’ attention to detail that gave United the edge it needed in its intense division matches.