Orlando City SC announced on Friday the hiring of two new members of James O'Connor's coaching staff.
Daniel Byrd joins the team as an assistant coach and Thabane Sutu joins as goalkeeper coach. Both men move over from Louisville City FC, where they worked with O'Connor since the reigning USL champions' inaugural season in 2015.
“Daniel and Thabane were obvious fits for the technical staff, not just because they worked well with James, but because they also had a lot of success at Louisville,” Lions general manager Niki Budalic said in a team statement. “That’s been a primary focus as we prepare for the second half of the season and beyond. We’re very excited for Daniel and Thabane to join us.”
Byrd returns to Orlando City, after serving as an Orlando City youth soccer coach during the team's pre-MLS days. Byrd, who grew up in Zambia and Mozambique, served as captain at Johnson University in Tennessee, where he played from 2000-2004.
Sutu is a former professional goalkeeper, having played in Egypt and Turkey, winning the Arab League title and three consecutive Egyptian league titles. The Lesotho native captained his national team between 1994 and 1997. Alongside his work with Louisville City, Sutu was technical director for United 1996 Futbol Club, a youth program in Louisville.
