“We needed to make a change before the season was lost,” Satterwhite said. “We have eight regular season matches left. Our goal for the 2016 season is to win our conference and qualify for the 2017 U.S. Open Cup. Coach Wall and I both felt we needed to do something drastic in order to have a chance at accomplishing these goals. We have a very talented team and there is no way we should be 0-4 at this point.”
Griest – also an established U19 club coach – is no stranger to the Dynamo as he did a majority of the recruiting this season. The Northwestern High School graduate also has extensive on-field experience as a former player for the Cincinnati Saints and Wright State Raiders.
“He is fiercely competitive, young and energized,” Satterwhite said of Griest. “We felt that Dan has something to prove with him never coaching at this level. That trait ties in well with this team. Everyone has written us off as an easy win. We have put ourselves in a hole and, now, this team needs to prove to the city, the league and fans that we are better than what these scores show.”
The Dynamo have been outscored 11-4 this season in NPSL play but Griest has seen plenty of reasons to remain optimistic.
“I don’t think we’re far off in terms of the makeup of the roster, the pieces are there,” he said. “We’ve shown we can compete, it’s about taking the next step.
“And long term, it’s about getting young players who are hungry and ready to fight.”
S
Wall – who has been with the organization since 2014 serving as head coach for the Cincinnati Saints from 2014-2015 before assuming the same role when the organization moved to Dayton – is looking forward to remaining involved with the club in a new capacity.
“We want the team to win,” Wall said. “The goal is very simple – bring success to the team, the fans and the Dayton community and I will do whatever I can to make that happen.”
The Dynamo are back in action Friday as they host Kalamazoo FC at 7 p.m. at Welcome Stadium.
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