The Atlanta Silverbacks have appointed BRIAN HAYNES to be the team’s primary assistant coach, the club announced Wednesday.
Haynes will start with the club in an assistant role, but will eventually take over for current interim head coach Eric Wynalda later in the season. Wynalda personally selected Haynes after conducting an extensive coaching search once he took charge of the club on July 2.
“It has always been a dream of mine to become a head coach at the professional level, so I’m thrilled to be given this opportunity by the Silverbacks organization,” Haynes said. “I feel that after all of these years of coaching, I’m ready for the challenge, and to be able to get an opportunity in a city like Atlanta is fantastic.”
The 50-year-old Haynes brings six seasons of experience as an assistant in Major League Soccer with the Dallas Burn (now FC Dallas). He was with the organization from 2000-2006, and helped the team get to the U.S. Open Cup final in 2000 and 2005.
Following his time in MLS, Haynes took charge of W-League side Real Colorado Cougars from 2007-2008. He then settled in Texas with his family, becoming the Boys Director for Albion Hurricanes FC, an elite youth club in Houston.
“Finding the right person to lead your team is usually a very difficult process, but knowing someone like Brian made it a lot easier,” Wynalda said. “Our candidate needed to meet very specific criteria, and I can say that Brian fits in on all levels.”
Haynes’ move to Atlanta is a homecoming of sorts given the fact that he started his career as a player in the city. The former midfielder debuted as a professional with the Atlanta Attack, an indoor team that competed in the National Professional Soccer League from 1989-1991.
The Couva, Trinidad native went on to have a successful playing career, winning titles as a member of the Kansas City Attack, Colorado Foxes, and Seattle Sounders in the mid-90s. In 1996, Haynes was taken in the fourth round of the inaugural MLS SuperDraft by the Dallas Burn, where he would play five seasons as a regular in their starting lineup.
Haynes is also a Trinidad and Tobago international, appearing in 21 games and scoring eight goals, including one in an international friendly against East Germany.