Philadelphia Union Add To Coaching Staff With Hires Of Pat Noonan And Tim Hanley

Noonan (Assistant Coach) and Hanley (Goalkeeping Coach) formalizing agreements to join Jim Curtin’s staff alongside Assistant Coach B.J. Callaghan

CHESTER, Pa. (Jan. 17, 2018) – Philadelphia Union today announced the hires of two coaches to Jim Curtin’s staff: Assistant Coach Pat Noonan and Goalkeeping Coach Tim Hanley. Both coaches join the Union effective immediately, pending the formalization of their agreements.

Noonan, 37, most recently coached as an assistant for the United States National Team, while, Hanley, 57, joins the Union from the San Jose Earthquakes, where he served two stints as goalkeeping coach.

“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,” said Union Sporting Director Earnie Stewart. “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.”

“I’m excited to work with Pat and Tim as they join our club this season,” added Union Head Coach Jim Curtin. “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 Hanley's track record in MLS speaks for itself. He has been a winner everywhere he has worked. Tim speaks very highly of our three goalkeepers, and he has an existing familiarity with Andre Blake after coaching him during the 2016 MLS All-Star Game. He has helped develop some of the best goalkeepers our league has ever seen, and we’re looking forward to seeing him work with our goalkeeper squad.”

Born in Ballwin, Missouri, Noonan joins the Union following a 10-year professional playing career that began in 2003 when he was drafted ninth overall by the New England Revolution. After playing five seasons for the Revs, which included an MLS All-Star nod in 2004 as well as a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup victory in 2007, he moved to Europe, signing with Norwegian club Aalesunds FK. He came back to MLS later that year, joining Columbus midway through the 2008 campaign. He would go on to help the side complete a domestic double, winning MLS Cup and the Supporters’ Shield that year.

He later played for Colorado, Seattle and the LA Galaxy, winning the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup twice with Sounders FC (2010, 2011) as well as another MLS Cup in 2012, with the Galaxy. Prior to the 2013 season, he retired as a player and joined the Galaxy’s coaching staff under Bruce Arena, where he would help the team win another MLS Cup, in 2014. He left the Galaxy to work under Arena as an assistant with the USMNT in 2017, his last coaching job before joining Philadelphia.

Internationally, Noonan has earned 14 caps for the USMNT, scoring one goal. He was a part of the CONCACAF Gold Cup winning side in 2005. While a member of Seattle Sounders FC, he scored the first-ever goal at Talen Energy Stadium, on June 27, 2010. Recently, he also earned his U.S. Soccer Pro License a member of the second-ever cohort to complete the course. He joins Jim Curtin as a holder of that certification, with the Union head coach having completed the course a year earlier in 2016.

Meanwhile, Hanley comes to Philadelphia after a six-year playing career and a 19-year coaching career. A native of Palo Alto, California, he began his career training with Blackpool and Coventry City in England, then returned 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, sandwiched around a stint at Scottish club Hibernian.

Following his playing career, he spent three seasons as a coach with the San Jose Clash from 1997-99 and then five seasons with the Earthquakes from 2001-05, winning MLS Cup in 2001 and 2003 as well as the Supporters’ Shield in 2005. He then spent eight years with the Houston Dynamo, including their first two seasons in 2006-07 and then six more from 2009-14, returning to San Jose in 2015, where he coached for the last three seasons. He also coached for Stanford University concurrently to his work with the Earthquakes, from 2002-05.

Hanley coached three MLS Goalkeeper of the Year winners in a four-year span from 2002-2005 (Joe Cannon, 2002; Pat Onstad, 2003 and 2005). As the San Jose Earthquakes goalkeeping coach, he coached Union goalkeeper Andre Blake during the 2016 MLS All-Star Game at Avaya Stadium.