Multiple sources with knowledge of the situation have informed the blog that Oakland Roots is interested in Loudoun’s Ryan Martin for their head coaching job. He is likely the lead candidate for their vacancy.
Roots could not provide comments at this time.
Martin is out of a contract with United after John Morrissey reported in August that he would be dismissed at the end of 2025. He and Loudoun just finished their season with a 1-nil playoff loss to North Carolina on Saturday, marking the organization’s first time to qualify for the postseason.
Martin, 42, has been Loudoun’s head coach since 2019. He is currently the USL Championship’s longest-tenured manager after the Pittsburgh Riverhounds parted with Bob Lilley in mid-October.
Although he’s established a record of 61-32-124 over his time in Virginia, he’s largely had to deal with scraps and focus on player development. It could be a valued quality by Oakland, which has increased its player budget while also maintaining Project 51O as a marquee pipeline to the first team.
Loudoun was DC United’s reserve team from 2018 to 2022, until the club was purchased by Attain Sports and Entertainment in 2023. In April 2025, it was announced that the organization would merge with the Virginia Revolution Soccer Club, a youth and pre-professional soccer club.
Despite the change in ownership, Loudoun has remained among the youngest teams in the league. Abdellatif Aboukoura is an example of his ability to craft young talent into a player in demand. He just turned 21 in recent weeks and finished as the team’s leading scorer with 12 goals and two assists. Aboukoura debuted with Loudoun at 16 years old in 2021 and scored his first professional goal against Roots in 2022.
The coach also brings a highly possessive style that Oakland has tried to implement year after year. Per Morrissey’s metrics, Martin’s teams have ranked among the most possessive teams in the league.
Over the last two years, Loudoun’s 480.2 passes per game are only behind Charleston’s 486.4. Their high-pressure brand has averaged 4.0 final-third recoveries per game, which is fourth in the USL Championship behind Louisville’s 4.8, Rhode Island’s 4.4, and Charleston’s 4.1 recoveries per game.
Martin played collegiately at Ohio Wesleyan University from 2001 to 2005 and was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2016. He began his coaching career as an assistant at Wake Forest from 2007 to 2015.
He joined MLS side Toronto FC as a scout in 2014-2015. He later became the Columbus Crew’s U23 coach and scout in 2015. From there, he signed with FC Cincinnati as an assistant in 2015 and 2016.
DC United then signed him as their academy director in 2017, where he remained until starting his career with Loudoun United in 2019.
We’ll provide more on Martin as the news becomes available.
2 thoughts on “Sources: Oakland Roots interested in Loudoun United HC Ryan Martin”