Boston Bolts Welcome Jonny Burns to Leadership Team
Boston, MA – The Boston Bolts announce Jonathan Burns as Head Coach of the U15 & U19 MLS Next teams. With 15 years of experience as a youth coach, Burns joins the Bolts with an exceptional track record of youth development.
Burns started his coaching career at Celtic FC where he coached and assisted with the development of a number of talented youth players who have reached the Celtic first team or have earned big moves to clubs such as Manchester City and Bayern Munich. In 2016, Burns moved to the United States to lead Florida Celtic Soccer Club as the Director of Coaching where he transformed the club’s player development pathway and set club records for NCAA Division 1 commitments. Most recently, Burns worked for Charlotte Independence SC as the U19 Boys Pro Academy Lead Coach where he helped five (5) players progress to the professional first team.
Off the pitch, Burns serves as the Executive Director for the North American Scottish Coaches Association, where he organizes coach development events and coach education webinars for coaches all over North America. Burns is also one of only 10 coaches who’ve been selected as a Hudl ‘Captain’ to represent the world’s largest video analysis company. On behalf of Hudl, Burns presented at the NSCAA Convention, discussing video analysis and its importance to player development.
In his role with the Boston Bolts, Jonathan Burns will be the Head Coach for the U15 & U19 MLS Next teams, oversee the club’s game analysis process and operate as part of the club's Technical Leadership Team for the 2023/24 season.
“Jonny is a true professional that provides knowledge and extensive experience to the Boston Bolts organization,” Boston Bolts Sporting Director Marco Koolman said. “His game insights align with the club's philosophy, game model and style of play. In his experience, he understands not only how to make players better, but also recognizes the importance of the college recruiting process, linking players with his extensive college coaching network. We are excited to have a true professional joining our technical leadership team to assist in further strengthening the culture of the Boston Bolts.”
A native of Scotland, Burns is a UEFA B licensed coach with a Scottish FA Performance Analysis ISPAS (International Society for Performance Analysis of Sport) certificate and a Scottish FA Mental Health in Scottish Football certificate.
The addition of Jonathan Burns to the Bolts staff solidifies the coaching line-up for all of the MLS Next age groups next season.
“In my opinion, the collection of staff that we have in our club is unrivaled, not only in the Northeast, but the entire country. When I look at the wealth of experience that we have across our club and the expertise we now have in player development, athletic performance, video analysis, player identification and team management, we are well positioned to provide our players with the best developmental experience possible,” said Boston Bolts CEO Brian Ainscough.
“These coaches represent not only the best within youth soccer, but personify the Boston Bolts core values and will be great leaders for our young athletes. Our coaching lineup for next season highlights the aspirations that we have as a club and will drive every part of our organization forward.”
Following the announcement of Jonathan Burns, we are excited to release the full coaches line-up for our MLS Next, National Academy League and Northeast Academy League age groups:
MLS Next
Under 13 - Jordan Tait
Under 14 - Seán Napier
Under 15 - Jonny Burns
Under 16 - Greig Robertson
Under 17 - Seán Napier
Under 19 - Jonny Burns
National Academy League
Under 13 - Bryce Schomburg
Under 14 - Bryce Schomburg
Under 15 - Steven Conway
Under 16 - Steven Conway
Under 17 - Sam Matteson
Under 19 - Sam Matteson
Northeast Academy League
U11 & U12 - Bruno Bonicontro
U11 & U12 - Andre Bautista
U11 & U12 - Vinny Linces
Boston Bolts Staff
Goalkeeper Coach - Vasily Yakimkin
Performance Coordinator - Aidan Byrne