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Khano Smith is a man of many talents on and off the field in the soccer world, and will be making his professional coaching debut in 2016 with the NWSL's expansion side, the Orlando Pride the club announced.
The long time New England Revolution player and Bermuda international has served most recently as an analyst for the Revs on Comcast SportsNet New England (CSNNE) as well as an assistant for the Southern New Hampshire Univ. men's soccer team, which compiled a 19-1-1 record in 2015, his first season as an assistant.
"Khano comes to us with tremendous experience across many levels, including professional play, youth development and broadcasting," said Orlando Pride head coach Tom Sermanni in the team's press release. "His experiences on and off the field are an important piece of the puzzle to help prepare the team for a positive 2016 season."
Smith played in 100 games in two stints with the Revolution from 2005-2008 and 2010. He scored 8 goals for the Revs and in 32 international appearances for Bermuda scored 10 goals. Smith was a member of New England's 2007 US Open Cup and 2008 North American SuperLiga winning teams.
"This is an exciting time for professional women's soccer, and I am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside some of the league's most promising players and accomplished coaching staff," said Smith in the team's press release. "My goal is to help Tom build a competitive squad and make a strong impact on their professional development."
In addition to his college coaching and broadcast experience, Smith has worked with the Revolution as a Youth Development Player Coordinator as well as a scout for the first team. He is perhaps most remembered by Revs fans for the worst free kick in club history, and we demand that this "highlight" (kudos to JT Chang for finding this clip on twitter) be played and re-enacted often by the Orland Pride players and coaching staff.
The craziness begins at the 1:18 mark -
Congratulations to Khano on his new position and we wish you the best of luck in the 2016 NWSL season except when you play the Boston Breakers.