FC Cincinnati have hired Bobby Edwards to be the club’s newest Academy Goalkeeper Coach, the club announced today. Edwards, a former FC Cincinnati goalkeeper in 2020, comes to the club from Indianapolis, In., where he was the assistant goalkeeping coach for Indy Eleven of the USL Championship and Director of Goalkeeping for Indiana Fire Juniors' MLS NEXT Academy.
“I am thrilled to return to Cincinnati and join a tremendous coaching staff who are committed to the development of the next generation of FCC players,” said Edwards. “Paul Rogers and Ryan Coulter are of the highest caliber in the goalkeeping field, and I look forward to working alongside them as we continue to make Cincinnati the best environment in developing future professional goalkeepers.”
Edwards, 27, is originally from Parsippany, New Jersey and played five seasons of college soccer before becoming a professional. He made 62 appearances in the collegiate ranks, spending the majority of his career at St. Joseph’s University before stops at Monmouth and Mount St. Mary’s.
He played in the New York Red Bulls system in his early career, playing for Red Bulls U-23 in 2016 and 2017. He joined SC United Bantams in 2018 and earned USL2 Team of the Year honors in 2019 with the club.
In 2019, Edwards signed his first professional contract with Portadown F.C., a club in the highest tier of the Northern Ireland footballing pyramid. He made his professional debut in the 2019 season, leading the club to a league title with 16 wins in his 23 starts and keeping 12 clean sheets.
After attracting interest from English Premier League and EFL Championship clubs, Edwards signed with FC Cincinnati in January 2020. He made two appearances for the Orange and Blue, most memorably in a 2-1 win over the Columbus Crew at Nippert Stadium. The win marked the first time since joining MLS that Cincinnati claimed victory over their Ohio rivals.
Edwards would sign with Indy Eleven in 2021, spending two seasons with the club and making seven appearances before retiring from professional soccer to get into coaching after the 2022 season.
