Former Chicago Fire head coach Denis Hamlett has returned to MLS as Jesse Marsch's first assistant with the New York Red Bulls after a year outside the coaching ranks.
Marsch named Hamlett, a former MLS player and coach, his first assistant on Tuesday morning. The pair worked together in Montreal in 2012 when Marsch was head coach of the expansion Impact. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"Denis is a great coach and a good man,” Marsch said in a club statement. “We're excited to have him on board. His knowledge of the game and philosophy fit well with what we're trying to do here. I'm confident that he'll be a great asset to us moving forward."
Hamlett was born in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, and grew up in Maryland. He played college soccer at George Mason University before joining the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the American Soccer League in 1992.
He played in both the American Soccer League, the NPSL and Continental Indoor Soccer League before being selected in the second round of the inaugural MLS draft in 1996 by the Colorado Rapids. The defender appeared in 31 games for Colorado before retiring at the end of the 1996 season.
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As his time as a player came to an end, Hamlett transitioned to coaching in 1997, earning his coaching license from U.S. Soccer and joining the Chicago Fire staff as an assistant prior to the 1998 season, the same year Marsch joined the Fire from D.C. United. He was named first assistant in Chicago in 2001, and served as interim head coach briefly in 2007, and was named head man for the 2008 season. Under Hamlett, the Fire reached two straight MLS Eastern Conference Finals, as well as the 2009 SuperLiga Final.
“I’d like to thank Jesse Marsch and the New York Red Bulls for this opportunity,” said Hamlett. “I’m looking forward to being a part of the organization, helping the players get better every day and contributing to the success of the team.”
