CHICAGO – Former UIC soccer player Charlie Trout has been named the head coach of the Puerto Rican men's national soccer team, as announced by the Puerto Rican Football Federation Sunday.
 
The Flames soccer alum will lead the Puerto Rican national team moving forward, including in Group Stage matches of this week's Concacaf Nations League.
 
"It is an honor and privilege to lead the Puerto Rico national team," said Trout. "I feel it is an exciting time to be a Puerto Rican futbol fan. We have a talented generation of players with more coming through the youth ranks. We want to continue the great strides this team and federation have made in recent years but now take it to the next level. Personally, it is a challenge and test that I could not be more motivated by."
 
Trout had a stellar collegiate career for the Flames, appearing in 59 matches for UIC and helped the program advance to the 2007 Elite Eight and 2008 Sweet 16. The former midfielder and captain scored 12 goals and collected 12 assists over his three seasons of play. The Nottingham, England-native also captained the Flames in 2009.
 
"We are very proud of Charlie but not surprised," said head coach Sean Phillips. "He has been a rising star in the coaching community for a long time. His impact is now starting to be seen with the number of young pros in the game whom he not only coached but fueled a passion for the game."
 
Growing up in Nottingham, England, Trout played for the Leeds United youth academy before moving on to Lincoln City FC. As a 22-year old, he moved to the U.S. and joined the UIC soccer program. During his time at UIC, Trout began coaching for Chicago United FC and quickly moved on to coaching for the Chicago Fire Academy. He then coached for FC United DA for multiple years, coaching many teams ranging in age from U12 to U23.

Trout and the Puerto Rican national team take on the British Virgin Islands Thursday in the League C Group Stage of the Concacaf Nations League.