Bill Irwin
- Date Of Birth: July 23, 1951
Bill Irwin took over as the head coach of the U.S. Under-21 Women’s National Team in 2007 and won his first Nordic Cup title in Finland that summer. Irwin oversaw the team’s transition to an Under-23 program in 2008, guiding the squad to another Nordic Cup title with four shutout wins in Sweden. Irwin’s teams did not allow a goal in two consecutive Nordic Cups.
Irwin has extensive experience as an assistant coach for U.S. Soccer, working with teams at nearly every level of the Men’s and Women’s National Team programs. He has served as goalkeeper coach for the full Women’s National Team and prior to becoming head coach of the U-21s, worked numerous training camps with the U-21 women. Irwin has also worked on the men’s side with the full Men’s National Team, the Olympic Team, the U-20s (including the 2001 World Youth Championship in Argentina) and U-18s.
Irwin, who for eight seasons has been the Director of Soccer at Portland and head men’s soccer coach, took over those positions in 2003 after the passing of the legendary Clive Charles. Irwin served as an assistant to Charles for 16 seasons.
Irwin came to Portland as an assistant coach prior to the 1987 season and was reunited with Charles, his long-time friend and former professional teammate, at Cardiff City in the English Second Division in 1971. Irwin has a distinguished record as a goalkeeping coach, training numerous men’s professional goalkeepers, including one of the USA’s all-time greats, Kasey Keller.
Irwin is also an F.C. Portland staff coach and has coached the U-15 and U-16 girls to the Oregon state championships as well as coaching numerous boys’ teams in the program.
Irwin began playing semi-pro as a 16-year-old in Northern Ireland, earning several youth and amateur international caps. He played eight seasons in the U.K. with Cardiff City, winning several Welsh Cups, and played in the European Cup Winner’s Cup competition, before moving to the United States in 1978 and playing for three years with the NASL’s Washington Diplomats. His seven-year NASL experience also took him to the Dallas Tornado (1981), the Portland Timbers (1982) and the San Jose Earthquakes (1983-84). His final two pro campaigns were in the Major Indoor Soccer League with the Minnesota Strikers (1985) and the Wichita Wings (1986).
Irwin, 59, and his wife, Liz, live in Portland and are the parents of two sons: Bryan (24), who was a forward for the Portland Pilots, and Nicholas (18). Irwin has a USSF “A” license.
Irwin has extensive experience as an assistant coach for U.S. Soccer, working with teams at nearly every level of the Men’s and Women’s National Team programs. He has served as goalkeeper coach for the full Women’s National Team and prior to becoming head coach of the U-21s, worked numerous training camps with the U-21 women. Irwin has also worked on the men’s side with the full Men’s National Team, the Olympic Team, the U-20s (including the 2001 World Youth Championship in Argentina) and U-18s.
Irwin, who for eight seasons has been the Director of Soccer at Portland and head men’s soccer coach, took over those positions in 2003 after the passing of the legendary Clive Charles. Irwin served as an assistant to Charles for 16 seasons.
Irwin came to Portland as an assistant coach prior to the 1987 season and was reunited with Charles, his long-time friend and former professional teammate, at Cardiff City in the English Second Division in 1971. Irwin has a distinguished record as a goalkeeping coach, training numerous men’s professional goalkeepers, including one of the USA’s all-time greats, Kasey Keller.
Irwin is also an F.C. Portland staff coach and has coached the U-15 and U-16 girls to the Oregon state championships as well as coaching numerous boys’ teams in the program.
Irwin began playing semi-pro as a 16-year-old in Northern Ireland, earning several youth and amateur international caps. He played eight seasons in the U.K. with Cardiff City, winning several Welsh Cups, and played in the European Cup Winner’s Cup competition, before moving to the United States in 1978 and playing for three years with the NASL’s Washington Diplomats. His seven-year NASL experience also took him to the Dallas Tornado (1981), the Portland Timbers (1982) and the San Jose Earthquakes (1983-84). His final two pro campaigns were in the Major Indoor Soccer League with the Minnesota Strikers (1985) and the Wichita Wings (1986).
Irwin, 59, and his wife, Liz, live in Portland and are the parents of two sons: Bryan (24), who was a forward for the Portland Pilots, and Nicholas (18). Irwin has a USSF “A” license.
