Goalkeeper Coach
Kevin Hitchcock At a Glance:
- Sixth season with the Revolution as the first team’s assistant coach in charge of goalkeeping.
- London native’s 24 years of coaching experience spans the top flights of England, Qatar, and India.
- Began coaching career in England with stints at Watford FC (2001-04), Blackburn Rovers FC (2004-08), Manchester City (2008-10), Fulham FC (2011), and Queens Park Rangers (2012-15).
- Spent majority of playing career at Chelsea FC, where he won two FA Cups and totaled more than 130 appearances from 1998-2001.
- Played more than 180 career games with Mansfield Town FC, helping them gain promotion to League One in 1986, and also made 17 appearances with Northampton Town (1990).
Kevin Hitchcock is in his sixth season as Goalkeeper Coach with the New England Revolution after joining the club on April 30, 2019. Hitchcock brings nearly 25 years of coaching experience to Caleb Porter’s staff, including time in the first divisions of England, Qatar, and India, as well as a decorated 18-year playing career in England.
In his five previous seasons coaching the Revolution’s goalkeepers, Hitchcock oversaw the development of two of the best shotstoppers in league history in Matt Turner and Djordje Petrović, who helped the team to four playoff berths in the last five years. Both goalkeepers made major strides in their development under Hitchcock’s tutelage, resulting in multi-million-dollar transfers to the English Premier League, where they remain today. At the time of Turner’s move to Arsenal FC in 2021, it was the largest outgoing transfer fee for a goalkeeper in MLS history, a mark that Petrović beat when he made his move to Chelsea FC in 2023.
With Hitchcock as their mentor, Turner (2020 and 2021) and Petrovic (2022) finished in the top five of MLS Goalkeeper of the Year voting in four consecutive seasons (2019-22), and placed in the top two three years in a row (2020-22). Turner was named the 2021 Allstate MLS Goalkeeper of the Year after the club’s historic Supporters’ Shield campaign, when the American international backstopped the Revolution to a league-record 73 points. In 2020, Turner finished second in the voting as New England reached the Eastern Conference Final, while setting a new club record for lowest goals-against average.
After the arrival of Petrović in 2022, Hitchcock helped develop the young Serbian international as he recorded one of the best statistical seasons for a goalkeeper in MLS history. Despite playing only 21 games and at least 1,000 fewer minutes than his peers, Petrović's prevented 10.66 goals above expected and contributed 11.86 goals added, according to American Soccer Analysis, the best single-season marks since the advanced analytics were adopted in 2013. His performance earned Petrović finalist consideration for the 2022 Allstate MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and MLS Newcomer of the Year awards. Midway through the 2023 season, Petrović moved to Hitchcock’s former club, Chelsea FC, for a club-record transfer fee, and quickly earned the starting job with the Blues.
Before joining the Revolution, Hitchcock, who owns a UEFA “A” Goalkeeper License and UEFA “B” Coaching License, spent the previous 18 years as a first-team goalkeeper coach, including nine seasons working with top-flight players in the English Premier League. His experience began with a stint at Watford FC (2001-04), followed by stops at Blackburn Rovers FC (2004-08), Manchester City FC (2008-10), West Ham United FC (2010), Fulham FC (2010-11), and Queens Park Rangers FC (2012-15). In his time with these elite clubs, Hitchcock trained such goalkeepers as Brad Friedel, Joe Hart, Kasper Schmeichel, Shay Given, and Robert Green, among others
The London native, 61, departed England for Al Arabi Sports Club in Qatar (2015-16), before returning to coach with Birmingham City FC (2016-18). Prior to joining the Revolution, he most recently spent one season as goalkeeper coach with Indian Super League side Chennaiyin FC (2018-19).
During his tenure with Blackburn, Hitchcock directed the goalkeepers during one of the most successful periods in club history. In his four years with Rovers, the club reached the FA Cup Semifinals twice, recorded a top-seven finish in the Premier League, and qualified for the UEFA Europa League. He also helped Queens Park Rangers secure promotion to the Premier League following the 2013-14 season, when the club defeated Derby County in the 2013/14 Play-Off Final.
Before launching his coaching career with Watford, Hitchcock totaled nearly 300 appearances as a player in England. His playing career was highlighted by two FA Cup titles, one Cup Winners Cup, and one Super Cup with Chelsea FC. In total, he recorded more than 130 appearances in all competitions for The Blues from 1988-2001, also completing loan assignments to West Ham United FC (1993) and Northampton Town FC (1990). Prior to joining Chelsea, he began his senior career with Mansfield Town FC, where he made more than 180 appearances from 1984-88. At the youth level, he played briefly for Chelsea, as well as with Nottingham Forest FC and Barking FC.
Kevin Hitchcock’s Coaching Background
New England Revolution: 2019-Present
Chennaiyin FC: 2018-19
Birmingham City FC: 2016-18
Al Arabi Sports Club: 2015-16
Queens Park Rangers FC: 2012-15
Fulham FC: 2011
Manchester City FC: 2008-10
Blackburn Rovers FC: 2004-08
Watford FC: 2001-04