FOR RELEASE ON: December 29, 2005

The New Jersey Wildcats have re-signed head coach Charlie Naimo for the 2006 W-League season. The most successful coach in franchise history, Naimo will be seeking a repeat performance of the 2005 season when the Wildcats captured their first-ever W-League Championship.

"I am very excited to sign on for a third season," Naimo said. "It has been great to watch the growth of the franchise in the past couple of years. After a successful championship run last year, we have great expectations for the future. Our staff feels the pressure to raise the bar for ‘06 and have already been working hard on the task."

In his first two years at the helm of the Wildcats, the North Brunswick, NJ native has put together an overall record of 32-1-1 in W-League action. In 2004 – his first season with the team, New Jersey captured the W-League regular season title with a 14-0 mark before advancing to the championship game. In the final, the Wildcats played to a 0-0 tie with the Vancouver Whitecaps before falling in a penalty kick shootout. In 2005, he led the Wildcats to a 13-1 regular season mark before capturing the W-League Championship with a 3-0 victory over the Ottawa Fury in the title match.

"I asked Charlie if the Wildcats will be able to repeat the successful year of 2005 next year," said Wildcats Owner and President Vince Baldino. "He told me yes Vince, we’ll be even better. I am confident in him that we will be."

"I’m happy for Charlie because with the Wildcats, he has really proven himself as one of the best young coaches in the United States," said Wildcats General Manager Patric Santo Pietro. "In his first two seasons with the team, he has shown a distinct ability to not only stock our roster with world-class players but to also be able to get the results on the field as well."

Naimo will have his work cut out for him in 2006 with an ambitious schedule of regular season and exhibition matches. The Wildcats will play a 14-game W-League schedule starting May 13th on the road against the Long Island Lady Riders. They also have two home-and-home exhibition series scheduled against the Ottawa Fury and Laval Comets with more exhibition dates still to be announced. The Wildcats knocked off the Fury 3-0 in the 2005 W-League Championship final match while the Comets are an expansion franchise for 2006.

"In 2004, our strength was our international players and 2005 we had some of the top US players," Naimo said. "We would like to bring both groups together in 2006 as well as increase the size of our training pool. Also, our exhibition matches should prove to be a great playing experience for all players in the team."

The Wildcats are the third stop for Naimo in the W-League. A USSF “A” License holder, Naimo also coached the Central Jersey Splash in 1998-1999 and the New Brunswick Power in 2000. He was the W-League Coach of the Year in 1999 with the Splash and has a 46-16-1 regular-season record in his five years in the league.

The CHARLIE NAIMO File

• USSF A Coaching License
• NSCAA Advanced National Diploma
• Head Coach, New Jersey Wildcats (2004-2005)
• Led the Wildcats to an overall record of 32-1-1 in W-League action over the past two seasons
• In 2005, led the Wildcats to a 13-1 mark in the regular season before capturing the W-League Championship with a 2-1 victory over Vancouver in the semifinals and a 3-0 win over Ottawa in the final
• In 2004, led the Wildcats to a 14-0 regular season mark and three wins in the playoffs before falling to Vancouver 4-2 in a shootout after playing to a 0-0 tie
• Head Coach, New Brunswick Power (2000)
• Head Coach, Central Jersey Splash (1998-1999)
• Led the Splash to the 1999 playoffs and was named the 1999 W-League Coach of the Year
• Former professional player, Jersey Dragons (USISL)
• Staff Coach, Player Development Academy
• Director, Serie A Soccer Academy