In partnership with coaches and organizations throughout the country, USA Rugby Pathways have conducted various Talent ID, development, and scouting around the country, and will continue to do so through early summer.
Close to 450 male players have attended the seven different ID and development sessions held in various locations. In addition, there have been scouts at three major tournaments with three more to come as the 2026 high school season comes to a close.
Once the selection process is complete, the USA Men’s U18s will travel to South America for 3 matches in July, where they will play two matches against Uruguay U18’s and one against Buenos Aires Academy.
USA Rugby has appointed a new leadership group as the Men’s U18s XVs prepare to embark on this summer tour. Luke Lewis has been named Head Coach, with Taylor Howden and Zac Mizell joining as Assistant Coaches.
This dynamic coaching staff brings a wealth of professional, international, and high-performance pathway experience to the program, reinforcing USA Rugby’s commitment to sustained excellence and player development.
Brendan Keane, Men’s High Performance Head of Player Systems and Development commented,
“First and foremost, we want to thank Dominic Wareing and Kyle Sumsion for their effort and leadership in re-invigorating the U18 program after the pandemic and wish them both well in their next endeavors.”
“As we look to the future, I am excited about the next evolution of the program under Luke, Taylor, and Zac for 15s and Dave and Taylor in 7s, who each bring unique strengths and a shared vision for the future of these programs and how they can impact American rugby. Together, they represent a powerful combination of international experience, domestic success, and an understanding of player pathways in the United States.”
Luke Lewis takes on the role of Head Coach following a distinguished career across professional and international rugby environments. Most recently serving as Forwards and Strength & Conditioning coach for the Chicago Hounds in Major League Rugby,
Already embedded in the U18s pathways, Lewis served as Forwards Coach for the USA U18s in 2024 and 2025, as well as providing S&C for the U18 Men’s Sevens this past December.
In addition to his professional and junior national team experience, Lewis has led successful domestic programs as Head Coach of the Chicago Lions.
His background includes player development roles with the Welsh Rugby Union and consultancy work with collegiate programs, underscoring his commitment to building sustainable high-performance systems.
Joining as Assistant Coach, Taylor Howden brings over a decade of professional playing and coaching experience, along with a proven ability to build high-performing teams across the American rugby landscape.
Recently an Assistant Coach with NOLA Gold in Major League Rugby, Howden was instrumental in developing attacking systems and structures that propelled the team to its first-ever playoff appearance.
Howden’s coaching résumé spans collegiate, club, and international environments, including roles with Ohio State University, Columbus Rugby Club, and Heat Rugby 7s—where he was named 2025 RugbyTown 7s Coach of the Year after leading the team to a title.
He has also contributed to USA Rugby’s pathway system as a coach with the USA U18 Men’s Sevens program and brings recent international experience through his role with Manu Samoa during their 2025 test matches.
Known for his expertise in attack, talent identification, and team culture development, Howden adds a critical dimension to the national team staff.
Zac Mizell completes the Men’s U18 coaching team as an additional Assistant Coach, bringing experience in athlete development on the national team pathway. Currently serving as Head Coach at Penn State University and Head Coach of the American Aviators high-performance academy, Mizell has built a reputation for identifying and developing talent.
Mizell has worked within USA Rugby’s age-grade system as an Assistant Coach for the USA U19 Men’s team, where he played a key role in delivering an undefeated Rugby Americas North campaign and supporting player advancement into the current U20 national team.
His coaching background also includes roles at Adrian College, Life University, and the University of Texas.
A former professional player with experience in Major League Rugby and international competition, Mizell combines firsthand playing knowledge with modern coaching methodologies and a strong athlete-centered philosophy.
With a commitment to developing across all areas, Taylor Howden will also serve as the Head Coach for the U18s Sevens program seeing David Fee moving from Head Coach to the role of U18s Sevens Program Manager. This will provide a direct link between the XVs and Sevens early development programs and provide synergy and continuity in personnel and player identification and development.
This newly assembled coaching group reflects USA Rugby’s strategic focus on aligning professional, collegiate, community, and national team pathways while fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, and long-term player development.
Coaches will begin preparations immediately as the Men’s U18s program builds toward this summer’s U18 Tour to Uruguay and Argentina and the U18 Sevens look toward Global Youth 7s in December.
July 11: USA U18s v Uruguay U18s | Montevideo
July 14: USA U18s v Uruguay U18s | Montevideo
July 19: USA U18s v Buenos Aires Academy | Argentina
