Chris Early is a new assistant coach kicking in Iowa City.
By Jordan Hansen
The soccer team had an opening on the staff after Julie Hanley’s decision to take the head-coach job at Indiana State, and Chris Early has been named volunteer assistant coach.
Early, an Iowa graduate, joins the staff after spending last year at Northwestern State as an assistant coach.
“We are excited about the addition of Chris to the Hawkeye soccer family and welcoming him back to Iowa City, where he was an undergraduate student four years ago,” head coach Dave DiIanni said in a release. “Chris has a proven passion for the game of soccer, a willingness to learn and grow as a coach, and a work ethic to build experiences by his various backgrounds in club, ODP, camps, and at the university level.”
Early played collegiately at San Bernadino Valley College and then spent time around Iowa soccer, coaching the men’s club soccer team. He also was a practice player under former Hawkeye coach Ron Rainey, and his deep ties to the program make this coaching move make sense.
“I am excited for the opportunity to get back to Iowa City and work with the soccer program,” Early said in a release. “Coach DiIanni has a long history of success, and I was intrigued at the opportunity to learn from him and grow as a coach. I love the Iowa campus, Iowa City, and am passionate about the Hawkeyes. This is a perfect fit for me at this point in my career, and I cannot wait to get started.”