Philadelphia Union add two to coaching staff

Assistant coaches Pat Noonan and Tim Hanley are officially part of the Philadelphia Union technical staff, the club announced on Wednesday.

Noonan was recently an assistant for the United States Men’s National Team while Hanley joins from the San Jose Earthquakes.

“Pat and Tim add many years of playing and coaching experience to our staff, and most importantly, they each have extensive backgrounds in Major League Soccer,” Sporting Director Earnie Stewart said in a news release. “Pat, for his young age, is very experienced and brings an offensive-minded way of thinking to our staff. Meanwhile, the depth of MLS knowledge that Tim brings throughout his work in our league will help our goalkeepers reach their full potential.”

Curtin added to the conversation saying: “I’m excited to work with Pat and Tim as they join our club this season. Pat is one of the top young coaching minds in the United States. He brings premier experience with the LA Galaxy and the National Team, and he’ll help us immediately. Meanwhile, Tim’s track record in MLS speaks for itself. He is a winner everywhere he worked.”

Noonan, 37, was born in Ballwin, Missouri and joins the Union after serving as an assistant with Bruce Arena for the USMNT and LA Galaxy.

Prior to joining the coaching ranks, the Indiana University grad had a 10-year professional career that begin in 2003 when he was drafted ninth overall by the New England Revolution. After five seasons, a MLS All-Star nod in 2004 and a U.S. Open Cup victory in 2007, he moved to Norway signing with Aalesunds FK. He returned to MLS later that year, joining Columbus midway through the 2008 campaign and helped lead them to the domestic double, winning the MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield. He later played for Colorado, Seattle and the LA Galaxy, winning the Open Cup twice with the Sounders and another MLS Cup in 2012 with the Galaxy. During his career, he earned 15 caps with the USMNT from 2004-2008.

Noonan’s claim to fame in Philadelphia is that he scored the first ever goal at Talen Energy Stadium for the Seattle Sounders FC on June 27, 2010.

Hanley, meanwhile, joins the blue and gold after six years playing and a 19-year coaching career. He is from Palo Alto, California and began his career with Blackpool and Coventry City in England before returning to the United States to play in the North American Soccer League. He played with the Tampa Bay Rowdies, San Jose Earthquakes and Golden Bay Earthquakes. Following his playing career, he went to San Jose Clash for three seasons from 1997 to 99 and then five seasons with the Earthquakes from 2001-05, winning the MLS Cup in 2001 and 2003 along with a Supporters’ Shield in 2005. He then moved to Houston Dynamo and spent eight years with them including their first two seasons in 2006-07 and six more from 2009-14. He finally returned to San Jose in 2015 and was there the past three seasons before joining the Union.

Hanley had the opportunity to work with Andre Blake when he was selected for the 2016 MLS All-Star Game at Avaya Stadium.

He’ll be seeing a lot more of Blake after he was signed to a new multi-year contract with the Union earlier this week.

Interestingly enough, Noonan and Hanley have traded coasts with the coaches they are both replacing. Former Union assistants Mike Sorber and goalkeeping coach Oka Nikolov both left the club for Los Angeles. Sorber is an assistant under Bob Bradley at Los Angeles FC and Nikolov is an assistant at LA Galaxy.