Ireland native Alan McCann promoted to head coach of Reading United

Dublin, Ireland native Alan McCann has been promoted to head coach of Reading United, the Philadelphia Union Premier Development League affiliate announced on Friday.

An assistant under Stephen Hogan since 2016, McCann becomes the club’s fifth head coach since joining the PDL in 2004. Hogan has left the post he’s held since 2015 to take on an expanded role on Brendan Burke’s staff with Bethlehem Steel FC.

Like former head coaches Hogan and Burke (2008-13) before him, McCann also played for Reading United while at college at Northwood University and also has experience playing for St. Patrick’s Athletic in Ireland’s top professional division. In addition to his job with Reading, he was also the head coach at Keiser University in Florida for three seasons.

“I’m very excited to get started with our returning players and the new arrivals to reach the very high standards we set ourselves every day.” he said in a news release. “Reading United is a club I love and I will do everything possible to ensure the great traditions of success continue on.”

McCann comes from a family with a long tradition in Irish soccer. His late grandfather James “Maxie” McCann was an Irish international who starred at Shamrock Rovers in the 1950s and early 1960s and his father Ray McCann played in the top flight for Bohemians FC and continues to coach at the youth level in Dublin.

“Alan has moved through our system as a player, assistant coach and now head coach,” club president Troy Snyder said in the news release. “Alan will not miss a beat, he is ready to take over a squad that will be mixed with future professionals.”

The PDL season opens at Lehigh Valley United on May 12. He’ll make his head coaching debut in the first round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup earlier that week.