WEST POINT, N.Y. – Newly appointed Army head men’s soccer coach Russell Payne announced the addition of Leo Cullen as an assistant coach for the Black Knights, Thursday. The former Major League Soccer (MLS) number-one overall pick joins his old University of Maryland teammate on the West Point staff after a four-year stint as a professional soccer agent as well as a world-class playing career.

"I'm beyond thrilled by the opportunity to join Coach Payne's staff at West Point,” said Cullen. “Given my appreciation for a college experience balanced with high-level academics and high-level athletics, I couldn't be more excited to join an environment that truly offers both and much more.  I look forward to sharing my experiences with a new generation of student-athletes here at West Point, and can’t wait to begin working for this storied and prestigious institution."

Cullen was the first player selected in the 1998 MLS SuperDraft as the expansion Miami Fusion made him the first draft pick in team history. Traded to the New England Revolution midway through the 2001 season, he left the Fusion as the club’s all-time leader in starts, minutes and games played in three and a half seasons with the club. A 1999 MLS All-Star, he also earned two of his three international caps with the U.S. National Team during his stay in South Florida.

Cullen’s Revolution career included two straight appearances in the MLS Cup playoffs, including in 2002 when the squad played its way to the MLS Cup championship game. After taking a season off to return to Maryland and complete a bachelor’s degree in economics in 2004, Cullen finished his professional career playing two seasons with the Colorado Rapids before retiring from both MLS and the US National Team pool in 2006.

Cullen left College Park as one of the most decorated players in Terrapin history. Part of a class responsible for kick starting the resurgence of Maryland’s storied soccer program under renowned coach Sasho Cirovski, Maryland made four straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament semifinals with Cullen in the starting lineup. He was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Player of the Year in 1997 a year after leading Maryland to its first-ever ACC Tournament Championship in 1996.

A Hermann Trophy finalist and All-American selection in 1996 and 1997, he also landed three-straight first-team All-ACC honors from 1996-98. Cullen was named a member of the Soccer America “Best 11” team in 1997 and was also named to the publication’s All-Freshman team in 1994.

“Being able to bring in a high-quality person and coach who is a former U.S. International and MLS All-Star like Leo is a fantastic opportunity for this program,” commented Payne. “He’ll be an unbelievable resource for the players and, for the coaching staff, he is going to be an integral part of making this a championship program.”

A native of St. Paul, Minn., Cullen garnered 2003 National Parade All-American High School Player of the Year recognition while playing at St. Paul Academy. He also served as captain of the U.S. National U-20 and U-18 teams that competed domestically and internationally.

Cullen comes to Army after serving as Director of Client Services with Wasserman Media Group (WMG) where he managed and represented professional soccer players from the United States as well as internationally since 2006.  During his time with WMG, whose clients include American soccer superstars Landon Donovan, Freddy Adu and Tim Howard, Cullen recruited and signed two of the last three top picks in the MLS SuperDraft (Maurice Edu in 2007, Steve Zakuani in 2009) as well as a host of other players from around the world.

 Cullen resides in Highland Falls, N.Y.