Logan Pause Appointed Chicago Fire PDL Head Coach

CHICAGO(May 6, 2016) – The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced Friday that Logan Pause has been named head coach of the Chicago Fire PDL team. In addition to his first team duties as assistant coach, Pause will lead the Fire’s Under-23 team through the 14-game PDL regular season. Fire PDL alum and current Academy coach Charlie Trout will serve as the assistant coach.

“We feel that the selection of Logan as our PDL head coach works on a lot of levels,” said Fire general manager Nelson Rodriguez. “First, it is an expression of our commitment to Logan and our belief in him as a coach and his future as a coach. Secondly, we think it demonstrates a complete integration of our soccer operations and the importance we place on linking our academy to our PDL team and to our first team. With Charlie Trout as Logan’s assistant, it is a perfect integration of our Academy, PDL and first teams.”

Pause, who spent his entire 12-year professional playing career as a member of the Fire, was named an assistant coach by Veljko Paunovic on January 24, 2016. A native of Hillsborough, N.C., Pause appeared in 286 regular season matches, scoring three goals and tallying 11 assists. In addition to 14 postseason appearances, Pause was a member of Chicago Fire sides that captured the 2003 and 2006 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championships as well as the 2003 Supporters’ Shield.

A U.S. youth international, Pause made his senior national team debut on July 4, 2009 and earned a total of six caps throughout his career. Pause was selected in the third round (24th overall) of the 2003 MLS SuperDraft by the Fire after leading the University of North Carolina to the NCAA College Cup title in 2001. Pause, who retired following the conclusion of the 2014 season, holds a USSF A license.

Joining Pause on the coaching staff is Academy coach Charlie Trout. The Nottingham, England native joined the Fire in 2011 as an assistant coach with the Fire PDL. Currently charged with leading the Academy's U-10 through U-13 teams, Trout appeared in 59 matches for the University of Illinois Chicago, helping the Flames advance to the 2007 NCAA Elite Eight and the 2008 NCAA Sweet Sixteen.

Seven current first team players are products of the Fire PDL program: Joey Calistri, Drew Conner, Patrick Doody, Collin Fernandez, Eric Gehrig, Matt Polster and Michael Stephens.

Below is the Fire PDL’s full 2016 schedule: