Peoria, IL – Bradley Braves Hall of Famer and MVC Hall of Famer Gavin Glinton has been named the head coach of Oakland Roots SC ahead of the 2025 USL Championship season.
Following his appointment as Interim Head Coach of Oakland Roots SC during the 2024 season, Gavin Glinton has had the interim tag removed and has been named the next Head Coach of Oakland Roots SC. In 2024, with Glinton as head coach, the Roots achieved a club-record 13 wins.
Bradley Career
Gavin Glinton played for Bradley from 1998 to 2001 and was inducted into the Bradley Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Missouri Valley Hall of Fame in 2014. After his playing career concluded, Glinton finished as a four-time soccer All-American and topped the Bradley career scoring list with 53 goals—21 more than second place. He is also in the top three in career assists at Bradley with 27 and appears in nearly every single-game or single-season goal record list in some capacity.
Glinton graduated in 2001 and went on to play professionally in Major League Soccer with the LA Galaxy as a second-round pick. He played seven seasons, with his final year being in 2008. During that time, he spent time with four different organizations: LA Galaxy (2002, 2003, 2006–2007), FC Dallas (2003–2004), Charleston Battery (2006) and finally the San Jose Earthquakes (2008).
Glinton briefly paused his playing career to recover from an ankle injury and served as an assistant coach for Bradley Soccer under Jim DeRose during the 2004 season. He later moved to New Mexico United from Sacramento Republic FC, where he coached the U13 and U14 Academy teams for the club.
DeRose Coaching Tree
With Glinton's appointment as Head Coach for Oakland Roots, the Jim DeRose coaching tree has grown a little bigger. Glinton joins an expansive coaching tree nurtured by Jim DeRose during his nearly three decades at the helm of the Bradley Men's Soccer program. An updated list can be found below.
Active DeRose Coaching Tree as of 2024
Name |
Years with DeRose as player/coach |
Current Position |
League |
Gavin Glinton |
1998-2001 & 2004 |
Head Coach at Oakland Roots SC |
USL Championship |
Tim Regan |
1999-2002 & 2017-2023 |
Head Coach at Bradley University |
NCAA D1 College Soccer |
Brian Barnett |
2009-2015 & 2022-23 |
Asst. Coach at Bradley University |
NCAA D1 College Soccer |
JD DeRose |
-- |
Asst. Coach at Northwestern University |
NCAA D1 College Soccer |
Ronnie Bouemboue |
2013-2014 |
Asst. Coach at Northwestern University |
NCAA D1 College Soccer |
Chad Flanders |
1996-1999 |
Head Coach at Augustana College |
NCAA D3 College Soccer |
Nate Boyden |
2012 |
Asst. Coach at Wisconsin |
NCAA D1 College Soccer |
Jesse Cormier |
1998-1999 |
Head Coach at Florida Gulf Coast |
NCAA D1 College Soccer |
Brad Ruzzo |
2000-2007 |
Head Coach at Mercer |
NCAA D1 College Soccer |
Raleigh DeRose |
-- |
Head Coach at Illinois State |
NCAA D1 College Soccer (W) |
Devin O'Neil |
2010-2011 |
Head Coach at Western New England |
NCAA D3 College Soccer |
Adrian Cox |
2001-2003 |
Head Coach at Baldwin |
High School/Prep Soccer (W) |