Hartford Athletic, Connecticut’s new professional soccer franchise, announced that Jimmy Nielsen has been selected as the first head coach in Club history. He joins the team immediately as the franchise prepares for its opening season in 2019.

Nielsen coached the USL expansion club Oklahoma City Energy FC from 2014 to 2017. During his tenure with Oklahoma City, the team made the playoffs three out of four seasons including two appearances in the USL Western Conference Finals. Nielsen was also a finalist for the 2015 USL Coach of the Year Award after the Energy finished the regular season tied atop the Western Conference standings.

Prior to his coaching career, Nielsen competed for 19 years as a professional player in Denmark, England, and with the Major League Soccer franchise Sporting Kansas City. At Kansas City, Nielsen was captain, a two-time MLS All-Star, Goalkeeper of the Year (2012), and winner of the U.S. Open Cup (2012) and the MLS Cup (2013).

“I am honored and excited to be named the first head coach of Hartford Athletic,” said Nielsen. “We are here to win titles and make our community proud. Our promise to our fans is to leave everything out there on the field, every match. We have a lot to do to prepare for 2019, and I cannot wait to lead our Club onto the field for our first match.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Jimmy to Hartford Athletic,” said Bruce Mandell, Chairman & CEO of Hartford Athletic. “Jimmy’s passion, vision, and leadership make him the perfect fit for our Club. We look forward to building a championship tradition with Jimmy at the helm.”

Coach Nielsen will be introduced to the fans at an upcoming event in Hartford. For more information on this event follow Hartford Athletic on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook and sign up for our email list on Hartford Athletic.com

ABOUT HARTFORD ATHLETIC

Hartford Athletic is Connecticut’s new professional soccer franchise competing in the United Soccer League and set to begin play at Dillon Stadium in 2019. Hartford Athletic strives to grow the game we love, in the city we love and is creating a dynamic, built-to-win organization dedicated to providing opportunities for our team and community on and off the field. The Club aims to make the city, state, and region proud, and, in doing so, make Hartford the best place to live, work, and play. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for exclusive content and updates.

Season ticket deposits are now available – go to HartfordAthletic.com/tickets to reserve your seats for just $25.