Log In

Don't have an account? Sign up now

Forgot Password?

Sign Up

Password will be generated and sent to your email address.

Kevin Ireland joins USL League One's Northern Colorado Hailstorm

Kevin Ireland has joined USL League One’s Northern Colorado Hailstorm as Assistant General Manager and Academy Director.

Hailstorm currently sits third in the league standings, just three points behind top-of-the-table North Carolina FC. Under the leadership of fellow Football Careers client Éamon Zayed, Hailstorm is thriving and exciting developments are underway at the club.

The Windsor-based side will launch a women’s pre-professional team (who will play in the USL W League) and an Academy program, with both due to begin competing in 2024.

Ireland comes to Hailstorm from Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club, where he served as Director of Coaching for the Fort Collins region.

In an earlier role with Florida’s Orlando City Youth Soccer Club (OCYSC), Ireland worked with U13 to U19 boys in MLS Next and ECNL programs and was highly involved in designing and delivering the groups’ training programs.

Also in Florida, Ireland was Director of Coaching and Soccer Operations for Jupiter United Soccer Club. During his time in charge, the club’s competitive program grew five-fold and became one of the most competitive clubs within the state.

Before Ireland’s coaching career took him to the Sunshine State, the Scottish coach held the role of Director of Football and Community Outreach at East Coast Bays AFC in New Zealand. At East Coast Bays, Kevin developed and enacted a strategic plan to grow the club into one of the country’s top clubs.

As a result of this work, in both 2020 and 2021, the club became just one of six Northern Regional Football (NRF) clubs to achieve New Zealand Football Y Licence accreditation, which recognises well-run clubs that have proven they are operating to the best interests of all members involved.

Ireland — who holds coaching licences from the Scottish Football Association, New Zealand Football Federation, and the United States Soccer Federation — implemented a player development model and style of play for all youth age groups while working directly with first-team staff to foster a path for youth player progression. During this period, several players earned national team call-ups at the U17 and U20 levels for New Zealand.

The Football Careers client also built the club’s Skill Centre Program for U9 to U12, which received national recognition and was awarded elite accreditation status by the New Zealand Football Federation.

In his new role with Northern Colorado Hailstorm, Ireland will help elevate the quality of all USL programs associated with the club. He said:

“I am excited to get going with Northern Colorado Hailstorm. They are changing the game in Northern Colorado and I am thrilled to be a part of it. You just have to look at the state-of-the-art Future Legends Complex they are building and realize how impactful the organization can be locally, nationally, and internationally.

“The launch of the pre-professional women’s team in 2024 is an exciting project that I am ecstatic to be a part of. Colorado is long overdue for a professional women’s soccer team and Hailstorm is paving the way for this. I am thankful to the ownership and leadership of Hailstorm for bringing me on board.”

Latest news

Keep up to date with the latest news
from Football Careers

including recent placements, in-depth interviews with our clients, career advice segments, guest columns, and more. Our members can access exclusive content centred around working in the world of football, created by the people who know it best.

    I can’t thank Football Careers enough for the professional CV they created for me. The attention to detail is outstanding and the design is eye-catching. I really appreciate all of the support and guidance their team has given me over the years.

    Robbie Fowler, Coach & Former Professional Footballer

    Football Careers knew every detail about the role I was interested in and gave me comprehensive advice on how to prepare for a successful interview. The team was attentive and took time to answer all my questions. The knowledge they’ve shared with me has helped me secure a new role and it will be invaluable in my future career.

    Selmen Sassi, Coach & Former Professional Footballer

    I would like to thank Football Careers for their professional preparation of my CV and PowerPoint presentation. Without their input, I wouldn’t have found the recent job opportunities that have come my way. I would highly recommend Football Careers to anyone involved in football.

    Frank Sinclair, Coach & Former Professional Footballer

    I’ve had my CV and LinkedIn profile done by Football Careers. They’ve helped me out, they’ve offered me advice and guidance, and the staff couldn’t be more helpful. I would recommend them to any coach.

    Diarmuid O'Carroll, U21s Head Coach & Former Professional Footballer

    Football Careers does fantastic work. So happy to be a part of such a professional agency and thankful for their help!

    Éamon Zayed, Head Coach & Former Professional Footballer

    Football Careers worked tirelessly to create a top-quality CV and philosophy documents that perfectly capture my ideas on how to run a football club. They have been a joy to work with from the very beginning and their outstanding final products have already proven to be a very useful career tool.

    Derek Adams, First Team Manager

    Football Careers has helped me greatly with my football CV and my management brochure. They’re very professional and the design of the documents is fantastic. I’ve had the pleasure of working with them for a couple of years now and I would highly recommend them.

    Pa-Modou Kah, Head Coach & Former Professional Footballer

    Football Careers were a huge support to me in my transition from playing to coaching. A first-class service to those who are looking to give themselves the best opportunity for face-to-face interviews.

    Paddy McCourt, Assistant Manager

    Top service once again from Football Careers, thanks for all of your help with updating my CV.

    Clint Hill, Assistant Manager & Former Professional Footballer

    Thanks to Football Careers for their help over the years. I highly recommend their services!

    Stevie Grieve, First Team Manager

    A big thank you to Football Careers for the yearly update of my CV. If you’re looking for a CV, get in touch. Best in the business!

    Ross Ballantyne, Head of Academy Goalkeeping

    Since utilising my CV, I have had interviews at a number of English Premier League and SPFL clubs before accepting a role in the USA. It is definitely a service which I will continue to use.

    Graeme Henderson

    The team members at Football Careers are very approachable and they have excellent knowledge of the football industry. I received a highly professional service from them and I now have a detailed, eye-catching CV that any employer would be attracted to.

    Kevin Nicholson, Club Services Manager

    Football Careers helped me successfully apply for my first full-time coaching job. They provide a fantastic, professional service with a great final product. The team is a pleasure to deal with and I couldn’t be happier with the service provided.

    Luke Chadwick, Head Coach & Franchise Owner

    Working with Football Careers has opened up new opportunities for me. I am delighted with the quality of their service and the results that I received. The work produced by the team has been consistently excellent and I strongly recommend their services to any ambitious coaches.

    Jose Gomez

    Football Careers’ membership features have been a great help to me over the years. The job board is fantastic. It’s quick and easy to use, and there is a wide range of jobs available that are based all over the world. Being an Elite Hosted member gives me unlimited access to the job board, so I can apply for as many roles as I like.

    Jordan Tait, Lead PDP Coach

    I would highly recommend Football Careers. Following a consultation, I was provided with a new professional CV and LinkedIn profile as well as very useful interview coaching. Given the highly competitive football job market, the support they offer is invaluable.

    Barry Horgan, Research Manager & Sports Scientist

    I highly recommend becoming a member of Football Careers. You’ll receive the benefits and opportunities you seek in football. The services offer good value for money and above all, give you the access and tools you need to apply for high-level positions globally.

    Niall Connolly, Director of Coaching

    Fantastic service and professionalism of the highest order! Top-class staff who go the extra mile with a personal and professional approach. I highly recommend Football Careers, thank you always!

    Dave Rogers, YDP Lead Coach

    Thanks to Football Careers for the brilliant CV and cover letter to help with my future. First-class service and an unbelievable, new-look CV! I thoroughly recommend them, thanks again.

    Ross Stormonth, Assistant Manager

    Thank you to Football Careers for your quality products and outstanding service. I highly recommend them to any football professionals.

    Paul Gray, Academy Manager

    I would highly recommend Football Careers to anyone looking to obtain a CV of outstanding quality and attention to detail. I have just received mine and it’s first-class.

    Darren Murphy, First Team Manager

    A massive thank you to Football Careers for redesigning and updating my CV. If you’re looking to give your career prospects a boost, I would highly recommend getting in touch with them.

    Brian McDermott, YDP Coach

    Become A Member

    Create an account and access a limited number of the latest sports vacancies. Apply for up to five directly from your profile.

    Or, become a full member and gain additional benefits including access to all listings on the Job Board, your own candidate page and access to all news articles and expert career advice for a small monthly fee.