Atlanta, GA - Atlanta Beat General Manager Shawn McGee announced Gareth O'Sullivan as the first Head Coach of the Beat, a 2010 expansion team in Women's Professional Soccer.

A native of Ballina, Ireland, O'Sullivan is a nationally respected coach with proven success at the youth, college and professional levels. Most recently he served as coach to Afturelding and KR in the Icelandic Premier League.

Prior to his years in Iceland, O'Sullivan coached collegiately in the United States. From 1997 to 2003, he led Christian Brothers University (Memphis, TN) women's soccer team to five Gulf South Conference titles, en route to capturing the university's first ever NCAA II national championship in 2002.

O'Sullivan also enjoyed several years coaching in Georgia, where he launched the University of West Georgia women's soccer program in 2004. He added to his collection of Conference Coach of the Year awards in 2005 and was involved with developing soccer throughout the state.

"I am honored to have been selected as the first Head Coach of the Atlanta Beat of Women's Professional Soccer." said O'Sullivan. "It is exciting to be part of the league and to be working for a visionary like T. Fitz Johnson. My focus is simply to win Championships for Fitz and for the great fans of Atlanta, a place where I have spent much of my adult life. Atlanta is a hotbed for sport of soccer and I believe that with my experience in both collegiate and international soccer, along with the great coaching staff we have put together, we can craft a team that will not only be competitive on the field, but also will be exciting to watch."

"The Atlanta Beat is working hard each day to be the best women's soccer team in the world both on and off the field. We have conducted a world-wide search for a Head Coach and believe that we have selected someone who will win Championships, as well as be a great ambassador in the community for the sport of soccer," stated Johnson.

"Gareth has extensive knowledge of the collegiate and international soccer player. Having coached at all levels, he has been successful in identifying and developing players into great collegiate and pro players. In addition, he has spent many years in the area and knows Georgia soccer well. He is the perfect choice to lead the Atlanta Beat."

O'Sullivan has coached numerous all Americans, including the NCAA's all-time leading goal scorer Missy Gregg (NCAA II player of the year 2001, 2002), and many players who now play professionally around the globe.

Prior to coaching, O'Sullivan played professionally with Sligo Rovers in the Irish Premier league, Memphis Express and the New Orleans Gamblers in the USISL A League and was drafted by the Indiana Twisters of the CISL.

To complete his coaching staff, O'Sullivan has added former Atlanta Beat fan-favorite and NCAA All-American from the University of North Carolina, Leslie Marcus (formerly Leslie Gaston) as his Assistant Coach. Rounding out the Atlanta Beat coaching team, will be Georgia ODP and Kennesaw State University's goalkeeper coach, Russ Stroud.

According to Johnson, "Soccer fans will be able to come support a local product, fan favorite, solid talent evaluator and all around great person in Leslie Marcus. She rounds out a great coaching staff with Gareth and Goalkeeper Coach Russ Stroud. All are proven winners and we fully expect them to lead our team to the WPS Championship."