Hartford Hire Eight-Year USL Veteran, Former Houston Assistant as Head Coach
The experienced USL head coach and 2021 Coach of the Year nominee was most recently responsible for helping lead Houston to their first playoff appearance since 2017.
After more than a month of waiting, Hartford Athletic finally have their new man in charge — and he knows a thing or two about turning a club around.
The club announced Tuesday the hiring of eight-year USL Championship head coach and 2021 USL Coach of the Year nominee Brendan Burke as the fifth head coach in their history. The former Philadelphia Union and Houston Dynamo assistant will also take on the General Manager role, while Ray Reid will begin a new role with the club as Advisor to the CEO and Ownership.
Burke comes to Hartford off the back of one of the most successful seasons in Major League Soccer side Houston Dynamo’s recent history, working as an assistant behind Ben Olsen to orchestrate a complete turnaround of the club — one that saw the Dynamo transform from a 13th-place finisher in 2022 to a Western Conference Finalist and U.S. Open Cup Champion in 2023. The Dyanmo’s fourth place finish in the Western Conference and subsequent playoff appearance was their first since 2017, and only their second in the last 10 seasons.
Prior to his time in Houston, Burke spent eight seasons in the USL Championship, working at the helm of MLS Next Pro side Philadelphia Union II (formerly the Bethlehem Steel of the USL Championship) from 2015-2020, before spending a pair of seasons in charge of Colorado Switchbacks FC, where he orchestrated a similar resurgence prior to his time in Houston.
His first season in Colorado in 2021 saw him lead a club that picked up only two wins year prior to their first playoff appearance since 2016, finishing 5th in the Western Conference. He was named a 2021 USL Championship Coach of the Year Finalist following the quick turnaround, and Burke’s second season in charge saw similar success — a second-straight trip to the postseason and a Coach of the Month nod in April 2022. In two seasons with the Switchbacks, he compiled an overall record of 30-23-12 — 10 more than the previous three seasons combined.
“I am excited to be named the Head Coach of Hartford Athletic. I want to thank Bruce Mandell and the entire ownership group, Nick Sakiewicz, and the whole Hartford Athletic organization for entrusting me with this opportunity,” Burke said in a club release. “I am determined to bring this club to another level and quickly. Trinity Health Stadium and the Hartford Athletic fans have already created a great environment and with the right support, we can make it a successful and intimidating one. As a New England native, it means so much to me to return home to lead this club.”
Burke also spent the better part of a decade with the Philadelphia Union across two different stints from 2008-2013 and 2015-2020, coaching at every level from the academy, to the second team and even as an assistant with the senior squad. It was here where Burke worked alongside newly-named Hartford CEO Nick Sakiewicz, who served as CEO and Operating Parter of the club from it’s founding in 1996 to 2015.
“I have known Brendan Burke for a long time from our days together at Philadelphia Union and hold his soccer IQ, work ethic, and competitiveness in the highest regard,” said Hartford Athletic CEO Nick Sakiewicz in a club release. “We have a lot of work to do to deliver a team that will compete for the playoffs and championships, and there is no better coach for the job than Brendan.”
Burke will be made available to the media at an introductory press conference on Tuesday at noon. The Blazing Musket will have live updates from Hartford as the rebuild towards 2024 continues.