Columbus Crew SC have been busy bolstering their roster ahead of the 2020 MLS season, but their coaching staff is also receiving a boost via the addition of 35-year coaching veteran Tim Hanley.
Hanley, who most recently worked as the goalkeeping coach for the Philadelphia Union, was part of MLS-Cup winning staffs in 2001, 2003 and 2006. The first two came with the San Jose Earthquakes, while the last one occurred with the Houston Dynamo.
“Tim is someone who brings over three decades of coaching experience to our club,” said Crew SC president and general manager Tim Bezbatchenko. “As someone who has not only worked in MLS but won trophies in this league, we believe Tim will be a great addition to our technical staff as we continue to put together a team that contends for championships.”
Aside from working with San Jose, Houston and Philadelphia, Hanley has also been on staff with the LA Galaxy. He’s reached MLS Cup five times and reached the U.S. Open Cup final twice (2007, 2018).
At the collegiate level, Hanley was also an assistant for Stanford from 2001-05. Before becoming a coach, Hanley enjoyed a five-year playing career as a goalie. Aside from playing domestically for San Jose and the Tampa Bay Rowdies, he featured for Scotland’s Hibernian FC and Switzerland’s Servette FC.
“We are pleased to welcome Tim into our coaching staff,” Columbus head coach Caleb Porter said. “In building a high-performance team, we want to make sure that we add not only quality players, but also top-level staff that help us develop those players. Tim’s experience in MLS is unrivaled and he will further strengthen our coaching staff.”
The Crew are currently amid preseason preparations ahead of their March 1 home opener against New York City FC. They’ll be looking to return to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs after their first absence since 2016.
