Alex Ibanescu serves as the Head Boys Soccer Coach at Atlantic Collegiate Academy, bringing more than a decade of local coaching experience, a championship résumé and an international perspective on player development to the Armada program.
Born in Suceava, Romania, Ibanescu grew up with soccer as a central part of his life. He played competitive soccer in Romania while also participating in basketball and volleyball, winning multiple regional championships. His childhood ambition was to become a professional soccer player, and although his family ultimately chose an academic path rather than sending him away to a soccer academy, that experience profoundly influenced his eventual approach to coaching.
Ibanescu graduated from Petru Rare? in Suceava with a 9.27 out of 10 academic average before attending Babe?-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca. He earned a Bachelor's Degree in International Relations and Affairs in 2011 and a Master's Degree in International Relations and Affairs in 2013.
Since 2015, Ibanescu has coached competitive youth soccer with Beach United Football Club, emphasizing technical development, tactical understanding, accountability and preparing players for higher levels of competition. From 2022 through 2026, he also coached high school soccer with Horry County Schools and Carolina Forest High School.
Ibanescu holds a U.S. Soccer C License, and teams he has coached have won seven league championships, three regional championships and 23 tournament titles. Despite that success, he considers the long-term development of his players among his greatest accomplishments in coaching.
His coaching style is demanding, competitive and development-focused. Ibanescu believes in establishing clear expectations, discipline and accountability while allowing players the freedom to make decisions and solve problems themselves.
“I don't want players simply following instructions,” Ibanescu said. “I want them to understand the game and recognize what, when, where, why, and how.”
That philosophy extends beyond the field. Ibanescu sees soccer as an environment in which young people can learn to handle success and disappointment, pressure and adversity, teamwork and individual responsibility. His goal at ACA is to develop intelligent soccer players while helping young men become confident, disciplined and accountable leaders.
Ibanescu also brings significant professional leadership and management experience to his coaching role. His career has included leadership positions in international cultural exchange, business development, operations and hospitality. He currently serves as National Manager, Key Accounts & Growth, ITP & Work Travel for Cultural Homestay International. His international work has allowed him to collaborate with people from numerous countries and cultures, experiences he credits with broadening his approach to leadership and developing young people.
Ibanescu and his wife, Lindsay, have four children: Alexa, Jamie, Cora and Cleo. Lindsay grew up in the Myrtle Beach area and played high school soccer locally. Soccer remains a family affair—the couple's son, Jamie, plays competitive soccer and has trained at Real Madrid's facilities in Spain. In summer 2026, he returned to Spain to compete in the Madrid Cup, helping his team win the tournament.
Away from coaching, Ibanescu enjoys travel and has a particular interest in international cultures. Those experiences, combined with growing up with the European game, coaching in the United States and now experiencing soccer as a father, have given him multiple perspectives on how athletes develop.
At Atlantic Collegiate Academy, he sees an opportunity to bring those experiences together while helping establish the identity of Armada boys soccer.
“I am excited about helping create an environment that combines competitive expectations with long-term player development,” Ibanescu said. “I want student-athletes to have an opportunity to develop technically and tactically while also learning accountability, discipline, leadership, and what it means to represent their school.”
