Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
Michael Briggs is an experienced professional in the sports and retail industries, currently working in Stadium Operations for Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC since August 2022. Previously, Michael served as an Assistant Retail Manager at Rally House from April 2021 to January 2023, and worked as a member of the Ground Crew for the Pittsburgh Pirates during March 2021 to January 2023. Earlier experience includes a role as a Camera Operator at WTLW - Channel 44, where Michael filmed high school basketball and football games. Michael holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Sport and Fitness Administration/Management from Point Park University, completed in 2023, and previously studied the same subject at the University of Northwestern Ohio from 2019 to 2021. Michael's educational background also includes a High School Diploma from Lima Central Catholic High School, earned in 2019.
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC was founded on March 11, 1998, by Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania native Paul Heasley. The team’s emergence ended the sport’s 12-year hiatus in the city at the professional level after the Pittsburgh Spirit of the Major Indoor Soccer League folded in 1986. Heasley’s inspiration for the team formed when his son, Lucas, began seriously playing soccer in the late 1990s. As there were no local role models for Lucas to look up to, Heasley’s aim was to create a club embodying the character of Pittsburgh and western Pennsylvania that could fuel the ambitions of youngsters in the region and give them a pathway to become professional soccer players. This vision was realized during the 1999 USL draft when Peters Township native Justin Evans was selected as the Riverhounds’ first player. The team compiled a 16-12 record in its inaugural regular season, playing its home matches at Bethel Park High School. In 2004, Heasley sold the Riverhounds. The team subsequently underwent a number of venue and ownership changes before landing at Highmark Stadium for the 2013 season. Current owner Tuffy Shallenberger took control of the Riverhounds and Highmark Stadium in 2013. The Riverhounds also operate a thriving youth academy with locations in Pittsburgh and Connellsville.