Mike Norris joins Portland Thorns FC as assistant coach

PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV) - The Portland Thorns FC have added Mike Norris to the club’s coaching staff as an assistant coach, the club announced Friday.

Norris joins the Thorns FC with eight years of coaching experience at Canada Soccer, most recently serving as the set play and goalkeeper coach for the Canada Women’s National Team (2019-2021).

“We are excited to add Mike to our coaching staff, and we welcome him to Portland,” said Karina LeBlanc, Thorns FC general manager. “Mike’s extensive background at the international level, helping lead Canada to an Olympic gold medal and his time within the youth national team system make him an excellent addition to our technical staff.”

Norris was part of the staff that helped guide Canada to a gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

“Mike is an experienced coach with a wealth of knowledge in the women’s game, who is respected by all that know him,” said Thorns FC head coach Rhian Wilkinson. “He is hard-working, diligent and thorough in his planning, a strong on-field coach with a deep understanding of the game and a great person away from the field.”

Before working with the senior national team, the club said Norris worked at the youth level in Canada with the U-17 and U-20 women’s national teams (2014-19), serving as an assistant coach with the U-17s, and the goalkeeping coach and interim head coach with the U-20s, while also providing support to the senior team during qualification tournaments.

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