Jose Batista joined Coach Adam Brunengo's staff as an assistant coach in August 2021.
A standout collegiate player amassing 25 goals and 23 assists and later went on to play professionally in the United Soccer League and internationally in Spain, Batista has extensive experience with player development and holds a USSF D Coaching License.
Batista is the long-time personal trainer and coach of United States Women's National Team midfielder Allie Long, who was a member of the 2019 World Cup-winning team and has 45 appearances and six goals for the stars and stripes.
A Queens native, Batista and Brunengo were college teammates in 2006 for C.W. Post (now LIU), where Batista earned All-East Coast Conference First Team honors. He later transferred to Molloy College where he earned two more All-ECC selections in 2008 and 2009. His junior year he helped the Lions to their first and only ECC title.
As a senior, he was named the ECC Offensive Player of the Year and tabbed to the Daktronics All-America Second Team and All-East Region First Team. Batista still sits third in the Lions record book in both goals per game (.61) and assists per game (.39).
After college, he began his professional career playing for Sevilla FCPR of the USL for two seasons and later went to play in Europe for three years with Brenes Balompie in Spain.
