Coach Tim Gilbert – Founder & Director, Lake Country United FC

Coach Tim Gilbert—known across the soccer world simply as “Coach Tim”—is the founder and director of Lake Country United FC, a non-profit club built with a mission to positively impact the world through soccer by developing great players and even better people. With deep roots in Georgia soccer and a reputation for building both pathways and programs, Coach Tim has created an environment where families feel welcome, players are challenged to grow, and coaches work together to help everyone succeed.

Coach Tim’s journey in the game began in the early 1980s in Clayton County, where he stood out as both a goalkeeper and a goal-scoring winger. In high school, he captained the North Clayton Senior High team as a tenacious center back. Although he received college soccer offers, he chose to attend Georgia Southern University in 1987 to pursue his passion for music—while still playing on and ultimately coaching the club soccer team, sparking a lifelong calling to lead from the sidelines.

After early coaching experiences in Fayette County in the late ’80s, life pulled him in other directions for two decades—until 2013, when he stepped back onto the field to coach his 7-year-old son’s recreational team. What began as a return to a familiar joy quickly reignited his drive to build something bigger. By 2015, Coach Tim helped form what would become Lake Country United FC. His first team—a U16 boys squad—won 10+ matches in its inaugural season and captured the McDonald’s Presidents Cup title. That success sparked more growth.

In 2016, Coach Tim took over the newly formed 2004 and 2005 boys teams, leading them to a combined 11 division titles and tournament championships in just five years. More importantly, many of those players earned college soccer scholarships thanks to the platform Coach Tim worked hard to create. Recognizing that too many players aged out of youth soccer without a clear path forward, he made it his mission to provide one—building bridges to college, semi-professional, and professional opportunities.

Since then, Coach Tim has developed strong relationships with college coaches throughout Georgia, the Southeast, and across the U.S., as well as with academies, universities and professional teams across Europe, Central America, and South America. Through those relationships, he has helped over 100 players sign with colleges around the world—many with scholarship support—and has facilitated more than a dozen professional trials and training stints, resulting in several players signing professional contracts.

As the Director of Lake Country United FC since 2016, Coach Tim continues to lead a club that’s built for every stage of the journey—from youth to adult. In 2026, he will take the helm as head coach of the club’s upcoming semi-professional team, further solidifying Lake Country United as a launchpad for aspiring athletes.

Coach Tim holds a USSF C License and believes deeply in a collaborative coaching environment, where mentors support each other, share knowledge, and work as a team.