Jose Hevia returns as Shillong Lajong’s head coach

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 12, 2024

Shillong Lajong Football Club is thrilled to announce the appointment of Jose Carlos Rodriguez Hevia from Spain as the new Head Coach of the club for the 2024/25 season. With an impressive track record and a deep understanding of the game, Jose brings a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to the club.

Coach Jose returns to the the club after a successful stint in his previous spell where he won the Shillong Premier League and Meghalaya State League in 2019.

Jose holds a UEFA pro licensed coach with a ton of experience over 25 years of coaching/management experience at various levels. He started his coaching career managing various clubs across Spain.

He was appointed as the Technical Advisor for Arsenal Soccer Schools in India from November 2014 to July 2016 based in Pune. During this period, he was also a member of the Indian Super League team, FC Pune City from February 2015 to July 2016.

He then moved to I-League club Minerva Punjab for the 2017 season and was involved in both junior and senior teams. He had worked closely with a lot of the players that went on to represent India in the FIFA Under17 World Cup held in Indian in 2017. After his role in Minerva Punjab, Jose became part of the joint venture between Madhya Bharat Sports Club and Celtic Soccer Academy.

Jose went on to manage Lajong in the 2019/2020 season as the Technical Director, Coaching and Youth Development where he successfully help the club lift two trophies.He then moved to Mohammedan SC in the 2020/21 season as the Head Coach of the club. His last coaching assignment was in Colombia where he manage Gobernación del Atlántico in the 2022/23 season.

His dedication to developing young talent and commitment to playing an exciting brand of football align perfectly with the club vision and values.

With Jose Hevia now being appointed as the new Head Coach of the club, coach Bobby L Nongbet will now take over as the Head of Youth Development of the club. The club would also like to thank Coach Bobby for his efforts as the Head Coach in guiding the club back to the top tier of Indian football and leading the team during the 2023–24 season of the I-League. The club would also like to thank the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs of Meghalaya for the immense support they have shown during his tenure as the Head Coach.