Absent from Pat Noonan's first public remarks as FC Cincinnati head coach were sweeping promises of immediate personnel overhauls, or winning on the level that he enjoyed as the top assistant coach at Philadelphia Union.
If all goes to plan, those things will come gradually, and Noonan said he does see immediate potential in some areas on the technical side of the club.
For now, what Noonan's vowed to bring to TQL Stadium in his first head coaching position is a methodical, realistic and measured tact that's grounded in experience and success in Major League Soccer.
"There will be no guarantees," Noonan told The Enquirer during a Monday interview at TQL Stadium. "Our goal is to start to get the right pieces in place to move this team forward in the product on the field, having an identity and getting the culture right to prepare us for future success. There’s no timeline on that. I know the fans, they’ll want to hear ‘this is gonna be an immediate success’ and that’s understandable. We’re going to believe that the product that we’re going to put out on the field and this group of players that we’ll continue to move forward with in 2022… are going to start a process of bringing this fan base and this club success."
With team President Jeff Berding and General Manager Chris Albright providing opening remarks, the 41-year-old on Tuesday was formally introduced as the fifth non-interim head coach in FC Cincinnati's history, and its fourth since joining MLS in 2019.
Noonan's hire by Albright filled a vacancy that opened in late September when Jaap Stam and two assistants were fired by the club. It also met Albright's self-imposed standard of bringing someone well-versed in the ways of MLS to FCC.
Noonan's resume is loaded with MLS experience, both as a player and coach. From 2003 to 2012, he made 183 appearances as a player for five MLS clubs. He scored 42 goals and notched 33 assists.
But Cincinnati tapped Noonan to lead the club for his coaching prowess, and in particular his recent successes while serving as Jim Curtin's top assistant coach with Philadelphia Union since 2018.
The Union have enjoyed the best run of form in the history of the franchise in recent seasons, with triumphs including the 2020 Supporters Shield and a run to the Dec. 5 Eastern Conference final in which a Philadelphia side decimated by pandemic protocols narrowly lost to eventual MLS Cup champion, New York City FC.
Noonan had long been thought of as a key contributor to those successes. He also did so while Albright served the Union as technical director until he was hired away by FC Cincinnati in October.
Prior to that, Noonan also served as an assistant coach to famed U.S. men's national team manager and current New England Revolution head coach Bruce Arena.
More:USMNT's Brenden Aaronson: FC Cincinnati in good hands with Chris Albright
Noonan's first stint under Arena was a stay at the Los Angeles Galaxy from 2013 to 2016.
A second stint commenced when Arena returned to manage the USMNT during its 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, which ultimately fell short.
Noonan said he credited Arena with much of his development as a manager.
"Working under Bruce Arena in Los Angeles, I could not have asked for a better starting point to my coaching career," Noonan said. "I’m not in this position right now (at FC Cincinnati) without the opportunity and mentorship of Bruce. From that experience working with him, going to the national team, it was a good opportunity when I finished up with the national team to take on a different challenge and Philadelphia was certainly that, and I had an incredible time working under Jim."
Excerpts of The Enquirer interview with Pat Noonan
The Enquirer: Not long ago, you and Jim Curtin were both being linked to the FC Cincinnati head coaching job in a report by The Athletic. How did the two of you manage that in the midst of the Union's playoff run?
Pat Noonan: "You handle it professionally. This is part of the world that we live in with, if there’s success at a club, your name gets mentioned or rumored to various opportunities, whether those are true or not. Jim, rightfully so, is sought-after. He handled that with our (Union) group in a very professional way where immediately he puts the players and the staff and everybody at ease as far as, ‘I’m here. I’m coaching this team.’ And the same for me, my focus was with the Philadelphia Union and helping us go on a run in the playoffs and that’s all we thought about. You have to put these things to the side and understand how to be professional in your job. Again, Jim was fantastic.
"I tried to put it on the backburner. None of this was a focus. It was certainly going to be a part of when the season ended. You know, those conversations pick up but at the time, all we thought about was our team and trying to go on a run."E: What are the emotions of coming from the kind of MLS Cup playoff run the Union had, and the Eastern Conference final and everything going on around that match in particular, and right into a completely new project?
PN: "You close one chapter and you begin the next. For me, that was an incredible chapter and an incredible experience in my coaching career – being able to work under Jim, being able to have a similar vision in how we see the game and what kind of environment and culture we want to create. It was four years of continued improvement to be able to cap it off with the furthest we’ve gone in the playoffs and another successful year. What I’m focused on is taking those experiences – successful experiences – and trying to bring them to FC Cincinnati as the head coach."Noonan on his assessment of FC Cincinnati's roster and the club's available resources to make upgrades this offseason: "There’s work to be done. I think that’s obvious. What I’ll say is there’s talent on this roster. It’s important that we have a core group of players to build around and to find ways to utilize this talent so that it leads to consistency and performance… I think it’s possible to improve this roster. There’s certain areas of focus that we’ll look at improving positionally and certainly, defensively, it needs to improve. I think that’s obvious. So, how do we have a nice foundation and stability behind some of our talented attacking pieces and piece it together in a way where we bring out the best in the individuals with the collective."
Noonan's work as head coach was well underway by Monday afternoon, he said.
He inherited a club that finished last in the league-wide MLS table in each of three seasons since joining MLS in 2019.
Much of FC Cincinnati's roster is tied up with contracts and players Noonan and Albright inherited from the club's previous regime, but Noonan said he sees room for material personnel improvements.
"I think it’s possible to improve this roster. There’s certain areas of focus that we’ll look at improving positionally and certainly, defensively, it needs to improve," Noonan said. "I think that’s obvious. So, how do we have a nice foundation and stability behind some of our talented attacking pieces and piece it together in a way where we bring out the best in the individuals with the collective.
"We’re starting. We’re started. The conversations – they need to happen immediately, and that’s a good thing because it’s a quick (offseason) and there’s a lot to be discussed. We’re still piecing together staff, and it’s so important to have all of these conversations now so we can be prepared and have a group that’s ready to step on the field for preseason and ready to move us forward."
FC Cincinnati is scheduled to begin the 2022 MLS regular season Feb. 26 at Austin FC's Q2 Stadium.
Regarding the construction of his coaching and support staffs, Noonan said he didn't intend to "clean house" at FCC and would look to lean on existing resources within the club. He also emphasized that staffing changes were possible, and that many applicants would be considered for various positions.
"What you do in this (hiring) process, for me, is evaluate assets within the club," Noonan said on Monday. "You have conversation to see where certain people can be of value and help round out the staff or continue to play the roles that they're in. I'm going to be very open with all of those staff members that are a part of this club and to getting them to understand that they're a part of this. I know there's assets at this club. My goal is to meet these different staff members and decide how to move forward with what's already here and identify areas to improve or add on."
"I’m not here to guarantee but what I will say is I’m very confident with (Albright) leading the charge as a GM," Noonan said. "Our trust in how we see the game, our ideas of what we want the product on the field to look like to what we want the culture to look like, being aligned will help us get the right pieces in place to move in a successful direction."
Source link
