Image credit: Werder Bremen
Last week's report started out with the news that Head Coach Mark Briggs had left Birmingham Legion, and has been replaced by Jay Heaps. That was unexpected news, just a few days before players reported to start preseason camp. Since then, the club has steadily released good news.
The good news started with the announcement that an agreement has been reached to send 17 year-old Ramiz Hamouda to Werder Bremen in the Summer (after Ramiz turns 18). It was known that Bremen was interested in him, after he spent time in November of 2024 training with them and being evaluated. Hamouda had a busy 2025, appearing for over 1000 minutes with Legion, and finishing the year competing for the United States in the U17 World Cup. It's a tremendous move for him, and another indication of the kind of development going on with Birmingham.
Two trialists were announced by the club as well. Winger Alhassan Alhassan (Chattanooga Red Wolves 2025), and GK Daniel Gagliardi (Miami FC 2024). Alhassan is likely a prospect as a project; he's 20 years old and has shown flashes of ability, but needs some polishing. Gagliardi is a 29 year-old (happy birthday today!) who spent 2025 without a club. It's hard to say where Gagliardi might fit into the mix due to the uncertainty surrounding the position. Matt van Oekel is certainly still with the club, but there's been no information regarding whether he'll still have an on-field role, or just be coaching. Fernando Delgado left the club and has landed with Monterey Bay, and Trevor McMullen has returned. McMullen has shown promise, but has appeared in just one game as a professional.
The other piece of good news was that Ronaldo Damus has been signed by Legion after being with the club on loan in 2025. Damus is a top-notch striker, and led Legion last year with 11 goals. His presence was expected, but he's a critical piece for a Legion attack that is shaping up to have a ton of potential.
Dothan United
Image credit: Dothan United
Dothan has announced Ricky Davey as their new head coach for the upcoming USL2 season. Davey is currently the Associate Head Coach at Mercer, and was previously a coach in the Atlanta United Academy system. He's expected to have a similar style to outgoing coach Carl Reynolds, and will be looking to continue building on the success they've seen so far in the Wiregrass.