Stephen Hart named senior team assistant coach

The Canadian Soccer Association announced today that Stephen Hart has been named Canada’s senior men’s assistant coach. Hart will assist newly-appointed head coach Dale Mitchell in Canada’s qualification efforts for the FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010.



As part of his role, Hart will coach Canada’s current senior team at the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup in the United States next month. Hart has been the interim coach since former head coach Frank Yallop’s departure in 2006. From September to March, Hart coached Canada in four international friendly matches: a win and a loss against Jamaica, a loss to Hungary, and a win over Bermuda.



“Stephen has done an excellent job with this group of players en route to the Gold Cup,” says Colin Linford, president, Canadian Soccer Association.



Hart has been Canada’s U17 head coach since December 2001. He has also been an assistant coach to senior team coach Frank Yallop and U20 coach Dale Mitchell. At the FIFA U20 World Cup UAE 2003, he and Mitchell nearly led Canada to a semi-final spot, only falling to eventual champions Spain on a golden goal in the quarter final. It was Canada’s best finish ever at a FIFA men’s championship.



As a player, Hart played in his native Trinidad & Tobago with the national team. He then moved to Canada and attended St. Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He became an instructor in the Canadian Soccer Association’s coaching development program in 1992.



Hart’s first three opponents in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup are Costa Rica (6 June), Guadeloupe (9 June) and Haiti (11 June). All three games will be played at the Orange Bowl in Miami, FL. From the tournament’s 16-year history (eight finals), Canada were Gold Cup champions in 2000.