LOS ANGELES (Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021) – The LA Galaxy announced today additional members of Head Coach Greg Vanney’s coaching and technical staff, with an experienced and distinguished mix of LA Galaxy roots and Vanney’s previous staff at Toronto FC joining the club.
LA Galaxy Coaching Staff
Greg Vanney – Head Coach
Dan Calichman – Assistant Coach
Nick Theslof – Assistant Coach
Jason Bent – Assistant Coach
Kevin Hartman – Goalkeeper Coach
Joining the LA Galaxy as Assistant Coaches are former LA Galaxy defender Dan Calichman, who played alongside Vanney from 1996-1998 with the club, in addition to Nick Theslof and Jason Bent. All three coaches served on staff with Vanney at Toronto FC in previous years, including the club’s historic 2017 Treble that saw TFC capture the MLS Cup, MLS Supporters’ Shield and Canadian Championship.
Kevin Hartman, who had served as the LA Galaxy Academy Director, has been named the Goalkeeper Coach. Hartman, the club’s all-time leader in appearances at goalkeeper, steps into a coaching role as one of the most successful goalkeepers in Major League Soccer history.
Dan Calichman – LA Galaxy Assistant Coach
Calichman represented the LA Galaxy from 1996-1998, debuting for the club during the LA Galaxy’s first ever match, a 2-1 win over the New York/New Jersey MetroStars at the Rose Bowl on April 13, 1996. In total, he made 113 appearances – all starts – during his time in MLS, appearing for the Galaxy, New England Revolution and San Jose Earthquakes. In addition to his distinguished career in MLS as a player, Calichman has served on staff at Toronto FC as an assistant coach since 2014. Prior to his time with Toronto FC, he was the head coach of the men's soccer team at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, Calif., from 2004-2014. The product of Huntington Station, NY, and Vanney were teammates along the LA Galaxy’s backline together during his three seasons with the club.
Nick Theslof – LA Galaxy Assistant Coach
Theslof joins Vanney’s staff with the LA Galaxy after working as a Toronto FC assistant coach since 2014. He originally began his coaching career as an assistant coach for Ohio Wesleyan University, where he helped win the NCAA Division III National title in 1998. Later, he served as a scout for the German National Team during the 2006 World Cup before becoming an assistant coach and scout for FC Bayern Munich. His final stop before TFC was as an assistant coach with Chivas USA. As a player, he spent time in the Netherlands playing for the PSV Eindhoven youth squad. Theslof holds a USSF "A" license.
Jason Bent – LA Galaxy Assistant Coach
Bent served on staff as a Toronto FC assistant coach for nearly a decade after previously working with TFC’s Academy. Prior to his coaching career, Bent had a successful playing career across three countries, where he played for FSV Zwikau in Germany’s
second division, the Colorado Rapids in the United States and Plymouth Argyle in England, where he helped the club win the Division Three Championship in 2001-2002 and the Division Two Championship in 2003-2004. In addition to his successful professional career, Bent represented the Canadian National Team throughout his playing career, making 32 appearances. Bent holds both his USSF National "A" coaching license and a UEFA B Level 2 coaching license.
Kevin Hartman – LA Galaxy Goalkeeper Coach
The former goalkeeper is one of the Galaxy’s and Major League Soccer’s most decorated players of all time, representing LA from 1997-2006 and making 243 appearances while helping lead the club to two MLS Cup championships. Hartman made 416 appearances with 411 starts across his career, including 243 appearances with the Galaxy, while recording a 1.21 GAA and 112 shutouts, a Major League Soccer record. He helped lead the LA Galaxy to two MLS Cups (2003, 2005), two Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups (2001, 2005) and two MLS Supporters’ Shields (1998, 2002). He is second all-time for the LA Galaxy in starts (238) and minutes (21,735). He joins as the goalkeeper coach after working with the LA Galaxy Academy since 2017.
