OUR Coaching Staff

Coach Josh Shields teaches math at Grissom High School and has been coaching at Grissom and in the Huntsville community since 2014. Originally from Starkville, Mississippi, he began his soccer journey with the Central Jackson Soccer Organization, playing on the '88 team that won four consecutive state championships. After high school, he attended East Mississippi Community College on a basketball scholarship but returned to soccer, earning All-State honors during his time there. He later transferred to the University of Mobile, leading his team to two conference championships and a Final Four appearance. Coach Shields also played semi-professional soccer for Chattanooga FC and Mississippi Storm. In the off-season, he coaches with United Soccer Club and holds a USSF C Coaching License. Coach Shields and his wife, Kelsie, have two children, Daxton and Rylan.

Wendell Giolo graduated from Grissom High in 2018 and graduated from Auburn University in May of 2022 with a degree in Information Systems Management. Wendell played for United Soccer Club from the age of 8-18 and the ODP state team in 2013 and 2014. He played for the Grissom JV team as an 8th grader and the Varsity team for 4 years, captaining the team his senior year. While a part of Coach Shields' team for 3 seasons, Wendell and his team made the playoffs all 3 seasons, won two area titles, and made two elite eight appearances. During his high school career, Wendell played in the North vs South all star game in 2017, made the all metro team in 2017 and 2018, and made the all state honorable mentions in 2017.

Trey is a 2021 Grissom alum. He played with Grissom soccer for five years and during that time he was on varsity for four. He was a captain and was awarded the best defender award senior year. Trey grew up playing for the United soccer club and won a state championship with them. He was a head coach for the Grissom freshman boys team in 2022 and helped coach them to a successful season. Trey is happy to return this year as an assistant coach.

Coach Troy Firman was born & raised in Saint Petersburg, FL where he played soccer through high school. After graduating, he worked as the director of the youth sports programs at the local rec center. After moving his family to Huntsville, he began coaching soccer. He has coached for North Alabama Soccer Coalition and has his National E certification and National Goalie 1, 2 and 3 certification. Coach Firman takes great pride in not only teaching the game of soccer but also working with his players. He wants his players to enjoy and learn from the game, to understand the relationship between the game and life after soccer. His coaching motto is: "Always compete and be as competitive as possible.” Coach Firman has been coaching at Grissom since the 2019 season.

Coach Brinkley started playing soccer at the age of five (5). As the son of an army officer, he played all over the United States, as well as Germany. By the time Coach Brinkley reached high school, he shifted into playing football, wrestling, and throwing shot-put and discuss for the track team.

After graduating high school, Coach Brinkley began coaching wrestling and football, first in Virginia and then in Maryland. Coach Brinkley returned to Alabama to complete his degree in Secondary Education.

He and his wife, Trisha, have two boys, Kaleb ('21), Elijah ('25). When his oldest son began playing soccer, he started to coach at the recreational level. Coach Brinkley then transitioned to coaching AYSO and club soccer with River City United and also coached at the middle school level. He holds his F, E, and D License from the United States Soccer Federation. Coach Brinkley started assisting Coach Nacho with the JV Boys team, when his boys started playing for Grissom.