COMMERCE CITY, Colo.- Colorado Rapids 2 today announced changes to the technical staff, including three new additions, ahead of the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season. Collen Warner will join Rapids 2 as assistant coach, Catherine “Cat” Chua will step into the role of head athletic trainer and Nicolas “Nic” Bach will serve as the team’s strength and conditioning coach. Erik Bushey’s staff is rounded out by goalkeeping coach Brandyn Bumpas, director of team operations Padraic Farrell and equipment coordinator Henry “Hank” Kline.
Collen Warner was permanently appointed to the assistant coach position after spending the 2023 season as the interim assistant coach for Rapids 2. Prior to joining the club as a coach, Warner spent three seasons as a midfielder with the Colorado Rapids, scoring two goals and adding one assist in his 41 matches with the MLS side. Warner enjoyed a lengthy career, playing 13 seasons in MLS before retiring at the end of the 2022 season. His playing career includes stints with Real Salt Lake, CF Montréal, Toronto FC, Houston Dynamo FC, Minnesota United and Danish first division side FC Helsingør. A native of Denver, Warner is a graduate of Denver East High School and a product of the Colorado Rush organization.
Cat Chua joins the Rapids after spending three years as the academy athletic trainer for FC Dallas. During her time in Dallas, Chua led all rehabilitation programs, injury risk reduction protocols, sport science initiatives and return to play protocols for the academy’s U-12 through U-19 teams. She also has experience as a network professional with the U.S. Men’s Youth National Team, Division 1 soccer and ECNL. Chua holds a sports manual therapy certification along with dry needling certification from the Institute of Athlete Regeneration. She graduated from Saint Louis University in 2019 with both a Bachelor of Science in exercise science and a master’s degree in athletic training.
Nic Bach has been promoted from Rapids Academy performance coach to Rapids 2 strength and conditioning coach. Bach joined the Rapids in August 2023 after serving as a lead performance specialist at Redline Athletics. He has over eight years of experience as an athletic trainer and performance coach and holds a master’s degree in kinesiology from A.T. Still University and a Bachelor of Science in athletic training from the University of Texas at Austin.
Head coach Erik Bushey is entering his third season with the club’s MLS NEXT Pro side. During the 2023 season, Bushey was named the MLS NEXT Pro Coach of the Year after leading the team to a first place finish in the league during the regular season and an appearance in the Western Conference Final.
Bushey originally joined the organization in 2017 as the head coach for the Rapids Academy’s U-17 team. In 2018, Bushey was promoted to the head coach position for the Rapids’ U-23 team and helped them to a first place finish in the Mountain Division. His coaching career spans over 25 years and includes roles as director of coaching for Jackson FC, assistant coach at Whitworth University and technical director for Colorado Rush Soccer Club for 15 years. Bushey has also been a staff coach for Region III ODP Boys, an assistant and head coach for Region IV ODP Boys, a USL W League head coach and an assistant coach for the U.S. U-17 and U-23 Women’s National Teams. He has directed club teams to five national championships, directed two Development Academy teams to top eight finishes nationally and has helped the development of over 40 national team players.
