Hooper spent the last six seasons with Aston Villa and joins Head Coach Dean Smith’s coaching staff  

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Thursday, April 2, 2026) – Charlotte FC announced today the Club has named Karl Hooper as a First Team Assistant Coach under Head Coach Dean Smith. Hooper will focus on the Club’s set pieces and individual development plans for players. 

“Karl is a great addition to Dean’s staff having extensive knowledge in both developing young players and game-planning set pieces,” said General Manager Zoran Krneta. “We are excited to continue to add quality coaches to our organization, and with over 15 years of experience coaching in Europe, Karl is a great compliment to our existing technical staff.”  

Hooper spent the last six seasons with Aston Villa, including the last five-plus as Villa’s Assistant Under-21 and Professional Development Phase coach. During that time, he worked closely with Unai Emery and the coaching staff to align playing styles, individual player pathways and set pieces. The Birmingham, England native also worked within the professional development phase to aid the development of individuals, units and teams of the Under-18 and Under-21 squads.