Klinect has spent 27 seasons as a head coach at the high school level, beginning his career as the varsity boys coach at Duluth High School in 1997 before making stops at Grayson (2002-2006), Brookwood (2006-2015) and Parkview (2016-present). In addition, he currently coaches the Inter Atlanta FC 06 & 07 DPL Girls teams. He led his 2006 Southern Soccer Academy NPL girls to the national championship game in Denver back in 2021.
Additionally, Klinect has coached at the college level as an assistant coach from 2016-2020 for the Emory Men's Soccer team, helping Emory post a 43-22-9 overall record during his four seasons and overseeing two All-Region honors and 11 All-UAA certificates.
Coach Klinect has his USSF C license and NSCAA School Diploma. He has an undergraduate degree in Political Science (Pre-Law) from Georgia State and a MS in Education (Curriculum Instruction and Assessment) from Walden University. Klinect has taught Advanced Placement World History since 2001 and AP Government for 12 years off and on since 2001.
Klinect has racked up a career winning percentage of .695 (279-117-18), three Georgia High School State Championships (Parkview-2016, Brookwood-2014, Grayson-2004) and appearances in the state semi-finals three additional times in 1997, 2008 and 2012. Klinect is a three-time NSCAA Georgia High School Coach of the Year (2018, 2016, 2014), the 2014 NSCAA South Regional High School Coach of the Year, and the United Soccer Coaches Georgia High School Coach of Significance Award (2021). He’s also been selected as the DiVarsity Georgia Coach of Year twice (2014, 2016). He has coached four NSCAA High School All-Americans including current MLS players Walker Zimmerman (Nashville FC / USMNT) and Sean Johnson (FC Toronto / USMNT).
Klinect was a four-year letter-winner for Georgia State and served as a captain his senior year. He continued his playing career after graduating in 1990 playing professionally and semi-professionally in Scotland from 1990-1992 and in the Atlanta area for the Atlanta Magic, Atlanta Lightning and Atlanta attack from 1992-1994 in the USISL.
Klinect lives in Lilburn with his wife Melinda. The two have three kids, Sutton (25), Jake (20) and Keely (16).
Stephen Gathany:
In addition to being the Varsity Girls’ Soccer Coach at Parkview High School for the 2023 soccer season, Coach Gathany also is a TYSA Boys JR Academy Coach team this spring. Coach Gathany has a USSF National “C” License coach and prior to Parkview was coaching at Decatur High School since 2003 starting off as an assistant coach for both the girls' and boys' programs where he was part of the 2003 coaching staff that won a State Championship. In 2006 he became the head coach for the girls' program and with the help of great coaches and players built a strong program that consistently competed for Region Championships and went deep into the state playoffs for multiple years.
Coach Gathany is an alumnus of Decatur High School, class of 98, where he had a successful 4 years on the varsity soccer team as the team’s captain for 3 years and leading scorer all 4 years. He played club soccer starting at SMYSA (Stone Mountain Youth Soccer Association) and then moved to GSA at age 14 and played for Campbell Chapman, where he led the team as captain. After graduating from Decatur High School, he played soccer at the collegiate level at Berry College for four years gaining a wealth of knowledge of the game from his teammates and coaches. Most of his teammates were international players, who "taught me the importance of having a professional approach and attitude toward the game." His senior year was filled with excitement as they went to their first NAIA National Tournament, unfortunately losing to the team who won it all. After playing in college, Gathany joined the coaching ranks at the collegiate level at Georgia State University with the men’s soccer program as an assistant coach. He continued to play at a high level for the Nashville Metros in the United Soccer League’s Premier Development League for a season before returning back to his roots and coaching at Decatur High School.
Additionally, Coach Gathany has been a club soccer academy trainer/coach at various clubs such as GSA, DDYSC, Atlanta Spurs, Georgia Futbol Club (Steamers FC) and currently coaches at the Jr. Academy level for TYSA Triumph.
"I am married to my amazing wife Jenine Gathany who is a former collegiate soccer player (Harvard University) and semi-professional soccer player (Atlanta Silverbacks). She started her soccer career at TYSA before moving to play for Tophat 98. She is currently working for Northside Hospital as a Physician Assistant in Surgical Oncology. We are the parents of 4 beautiful children Eva 10, Wesley 7, and twin boys Jordan and Ramzi who are 4 years old. Both Eva and Wesley currently play academy level soccer at TYSA and continue to love the sport. The twins will be playing recreational soccer at TYSA this fall and have been itching to play the game too."
