HOUSTON (Jan. 13, 2025) – Houston Dynamo FC announced today five new members of the first team staff ahead of the 2025 season. The Club promoted former Houston Dynamo 2 head coach Kenny Bundy to an assistant coach with the first team, while an athletic trainer, equipment manager, equipment coordinator and team administrator have also joined the staff.
“We have set a target to elevate our organization by developing our staff and giving them the opportunity to advance their careers. We are proud to promote three staff members from Dynamo 2 this season and are excited to welcome two new members to our first team staff,” said President of Soccer Pat Onstad. “A key part of this effort was promoting Kenny Bundy to an assistant coach with the Dynamo first team. It is a position he has earned through his role as head coach with Dynamo 2 where he implemented a clear youth pathway and developed a winning culture. We welcome all of our new staff members as we continue to build a sustainable winner for this city.”
Bundy joins the first team staff in a full-time capacity after serving as an interim assistant coach from September last season where he helped Houston secure consecutive playoff appearances for the first time in more than a decade.
Prior to joining Ben Olsen’s coaching staff, Bundy served as head coach for Dynamo 2 since the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro season in 2022. The Tulsa, Okla. native led Dynamo 2 to three consecutive postseason appearances, including a strong finish in the league’s inaugural campaign where the team earned an unbeaten 10-0-1 home record and tied for the fewest goals conceded (22) that season.
Bundy first joined the Club in 2016 as head coach for the Dynamo Academy U-19 and U-23 teams, where he coached a number of Dynamo Homegrown players, including Juan Castilla, Marcelo Palomino and Danny Rios. In addition to his role with the Academy, Bundy worked with both first teams, Dynamo and Dash, as an assistant coach. First in 2017 under Houston Dash interim head coach Omar Morales and again during the 2019 MLS season under Dynamo interim head coach Davy Arnaud. Additionally, he was named Dynamo interim head coach in September 2022 and closed the season with a 2-2-1 (WLD) record.
Randi Lininger joins the Dynamo as athletic trainer, with more than 10 years of experience working with professional, collegiate and high school athletes and coaches, as well as orthopedic clinics and rehabilitation clinics. Prior to joining Houston, Lininger was head athletic trainer for Bay FC (2024), Angel City Football Club (2022), RGV FC Toros (2018-2020) and assistant athletic trainer for Sporting Kansas City (2021). Additionally, she currently serves as athletic trainer for the U.S. Soccer Federation.
James Salazar and Randy Beltran assume the two equipment roles, with Salazar joining the staff as equipment manager from New Mexico United (2021-2024) and Beltran as equipment coordinator from Dynamo 2 (2024).
Rico Baltazar will take on the role of first team administrator after three seasons as team administrator for Dynamo 2 (2022-2024), a year with California United Strikers FC (2020) as manager of soccer operations and with Cal State Fullerton (2019) as assistant director of operations.
