BROWN TO COACH CHICAGO NISA TEAM: A Fire legend is coming home. Chicago Fire legend CJ Brown has been named technical director and head coach of Chicago’s new NISA team that’s set to play at SeatGeek Stadium starting this August:
“It was such an honor when I received the phone call from [Chicago NISA President/CEO Peter Wilt],” said Brown. “To accept this important role back in the only city I played for professionally is a dream. It’s my family’s home.
“I will put my heart and soul into making this team successful on the field and into this amazing community. We hope to complement the youth clubs, academies, and amateur leagues that we have here in Chicago, as a pathway for players to achieve their goals as soccer players.”
Brown was drafted first overall in the 1998 MLS Supplemental Draft by Wilt when he was the Chicago Fire General Manager. He immediately stepped into the Fire’s starting lineup and would stay there for the next 13 seasons. Brown played in 249 regular season games, first in Fire history. He also appeared in 32 playoff games, helping the Fire to the MLS Cup in 1998. He won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 1998, 2000, 2003, and 2006. He also earned 15 caps with the US National Team.
After his playing days, he has been an assistant coach for five different MLS teams, including the Fire, with the most recent stop at New York Red Bulls under fellow Fire legend and now Toronto FC coach Chris Armas.
THREE RED STARS NAMES TO SHEBELIEVES SQUAD: Defender Tierna Davidson, midfielder/defender Julie Ertz, and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher will be part of the US Women’s National Team squad to take part in the SheBelieves Cup later this month.
The USA begins the SheBelieves Cup on February 18th against Canada at 6pm CT, followed by Brazil on February 21 at 2pm CT, and then against Argentina on February 24th at 6pm CT. All matches will be broadcasted on FS1 and TUDN.
Brown, then an assistant at Real Salt Lake in 2011. (File Photo: Don MacGregor)
