Tim Hankinson Takes Over Indy Eleven Head Coaching Position

Indy Eleven has ended the thorough search for its permanent head coach position by officially welcoming Tim Hankinson to the technical staff on Wednesday. 

“Experienced candidates were a focal point of our search, and few coaches have the knowledge of American soccer that Tim Hankinson does,” Indy Eleven owner Ersal Ozdemir said. “On behalf of the Indy Eleven family I want to welcome Tim and his wife, Yvette, to Indianapolis and look forward to them receiving the support of one of the most passionate fan bases in the country.”

Hankinson said: “I am honored to be leading one of the great organizations of the North American Soccer League. I come to here determined to build a winner on the field and celebrate a future championship with our fans and the Brickyard Battalion.”

One of the first decisions made by Hankinson was to retain Tim Regan as a member of Indy Eleven’s technical staff. Regan, who has been with the club since December 2013, will return to his assistant coaching position after serving as the team’s interim head coach since early June.

“Having known Tim Hankinson for two decades I am well aware of the immense experience and knowledge be brings,” Indy Eleven President/General Manager Peter Wilt said. “I am excited that Tim Regan has agreed to stay on as part of the technical staff. Between the fresh perspective of Tim Hankinson and the vast knowledge of our squad that Tim Regan possesses, I am confident we will build a championship caliber roster our supporters deserve.”

Indy Eleven is the latest stop on a now 36-year coaching journey that has seen Hankinson lead teams at nearly every level of the sport in the United States – including two years in the NASL and nine years in MLS – and taken him across the globe.

Hankinson comes to Indiana after most recently guiding Jamaican first division side Montego Bay United to the top of the Red Stripe National Premier League, compiling a 7W-4D-2L record during the first half of their 2015-16 season from August through mid-November. He also helped the club earn its first standings point in ScotiaBank CONCACAF Champions League action via a 3-3 draw versus Major League Soccer’s D.C. United.

The native of New York City is familiar with the NASL after being named the first head coach of the San Antonio Scorpions in 2012, when he helped the expansion squad to the league’s regular season championship in his first season. Hankinson went 21W-11D-18L in 50 games overall with San Antonio from 2012-13.

Hankinson was also one of the pioneers in Major League Soccer coaching circles from 1996-2004. His MLS tenure began in 1996 by serving as the nascent league’s Director of Player Development for two seasons, during which he led MLS’s scouting and player development activities and coached the Nike Project-40 developmental team.

A move back to the full-time coaching ranks came in 1998 when Hankinson took the helm of MLS’s Tampa Bay Mutiny, helping the squad to postseason appearances in two of his three seasons. From there it was on to fellow MLS side Colorado Rapids, where he racked up three more playoff nods in four seasons from 2001-04.

Hankinson began his coaching career in 1979 at the age of 25, his appointment at Oglethorpe University the first of four jobs that saw him rise through the collegiate ranks across the next decade. He would begin his professional coaching career in 1990, with stops domestically including the Charleston Battery and Raleigh Flyers of the old USISL to go along with his time in the NASL and Major League Soccer. Additionally, Hankinson would test the coaching waters internationally with stops in Brazil, Iceland, Guatemala, India and, most recently, Jamaica throughout the last 25 years.