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Dash coach Vera Pauw has her right-hand woman for debut season in the NWSL.

Pauw has hired former Boston Breakers coach Lisa Cole as her assistant.

Cole coached the Breakers when they were in the WPSL Elite in 2012 and led them to the regular season title. She remained the head coach in 2013 when the Breakers debuted in NWSL but was fired with four games remaining in the regular season.

Since 2015, Cole has coached Papua New Guinea’s U-20 national team.

Pauw comes to Houston with extensive international experience and connections but not much of it extends to the United States. When she was hired she said it was imperative she find an assistant coach who has a firm grasp on the soccer scene in America.

It is expected that Cole will play a major role in the Dash’s decisions during the NWSL draft on Jan. 18.

“The first thing that we are doing now is finding that experienced assistant coach,” Pauw said in the days following her November hire. “…It is crucial for the success of the Houston Dash that I have somebody from the country with me.”