The Lowdown18 Nov 2025

#184 - MLS Coach Education w/ Fred Lipka

“We don’t just want consumers; we want people who think deeply about who they are and what kind of coach they want to be.”

Today we are joined by the Technical Director of Player Development for MLS; Fred Lipka. In this episode, we dive deep into coach development, pedagogy, and the evolution of youth football from France to the United States. Fred shares a journey that spans Le Havre’s world-renowned academy, consulting across the U.S. youth landscape, and shaping the next generation of MLS coaches through the Elite Formation Coaching License (EFCL). Graduates like Wilfried Nancy, Greg Vanney, Nico Estevez, and Luchi Gonzalez have gone onto esteemed success coaching first team football. Here Fred explains how the course is taught and the unique approach they take to social learning.

Listen to find out more including;

- Growing up in the Le Havre environment, sharing insights into what made Le Havre’s developmental culture so influential.

- What surprised him most about the structure, culture, and coaching approaches in the U.S?

- Do US based coaches spend sufficient time on field developing their craft?

- The link between teaching and coaching — and why coaching must evolve ?

- Why coaches focusing on developing their players individual game insight is key to US success over the next decade?

- Creating environments where coaches want to contribute, support each other and give back.

Timestamps;

00:00 - 11:10 - Le Havre

11:11 - 25:16 - EFCL

25:17 - 37:08 - Coaching Pathways

37:09 - 54:20 - Game Insight

54:21 - 57:57 - Advice

Get in touch;

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conorwalsh1995/

YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@TheLowdownPod

Email: cwalsh95@outlook.ie

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