Coach Bob Lilley agrees to multi-year contract extension with Riverhounds

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and coach Bob Lilley agreed to a three-year contract extension, the team announced Thursday.

Lilley, 55, just completed his fourth season with the Riverhounds and is the club’s all-time leader in wins and games coached with a 66-25-34 record.

“Since Bob came to Pittsburgh, he has turned the Hounds into a winning team that can compete with anyone in the league,” Riverhounds SC owner Tuffy Shallenberger said. “Keeping a coach of his caliber here is important for our team, as we’re ready to take that next step and start bringing championships back to Pittsburgh.”

The USL Hall of Famer has helped the Hounds qualify for the USL Championship playoffs each season in his tenure. In 2019, they had the best record in the Eastern Conference.

In 21 years as a professional head coach, Lilley has a 317-149-130 record. He is a five-time Coach of the Year winner, won USL championships with the Vancouver Whitecaps (2006) and Rochester Rhinos (2015), and has qualified his team for the playoffs in all 21 seasons.

The rest of the Riverhounds’ coaching staff also will return in 2022, including top assistant Dan Visser, who has been with the club since 2016.

“What Dan does for the team is really important, and sometimes I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves,” Shallenberger said. “Having Bob and Dan back together brings a lot of stability to this team, and that’s going to let us keep building forward.”

Also back for a second year is assistant coach Michael Behonick, who will work primarily with goalkeepers, and Will Marshall, the Riverhounds Development Academy’s director of goalkeeping.