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NWSL's Portland Thorns welcome former Canadian coach Mike Norris to staff

With Christine Sinclair leading the Portland forwards, Head Coach and former Canadian international Rhian Wilkinson has hired Mike Norris to shore up the Thorns' goalkeepers ahead of the 2022 NWSL season.

Experienced assistant most recently served as 'keeper coach for senior women's side

The Canadian Press ·
Former Canadian women's National Team coach Mike Norris speaks with Head Coach Bev Priestman on June. 11, 2021. (Canada Soccer)

Former Canadian women's goalkeeper coach Mike Norris has joined the NWSL's Portland Thorns as an assistant coach.

Norris will be working with head coach Rhian Wilkinson, a former Canadian international.

Norris spent the last eight years with Canada Soccer, most recently as the set play and goalkeeper coach for the senior women's team from 2019 to 2021. He was part of the staff that helped the Canadian women to Olympic gold in Tokyo last summer.

"Mike is an experienced coach with a wealth of knowledge in the women's game, who is respected by all that know him," Wilkinson said in a statement. "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."

Norris has also served as an assistant coach with the Canadian under-17 women's team and goalkeeper coach and interim head coach with the U-20s. He was head goalkeeping coach for the U-14 and U-15 Vancouver Whitecaps FC Boys Residency teams from 2014 to '16.

WATCH | Sinclair receives ovation in post-Olympic return to Thorns

Christine Sinclair receives 'golden' ovation from home crowd in return for Portland Thorns

12 months ago
Duration 0:56
After winning Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020 for Canada, Christine Sinclair entered the Women's International Champions Cup final to a loud ovation.

Earlier this month, Jen Herst was named Norris's successor as goalkeeper and set plays coach on Bev Priestman's Canada staff.

Herst most recently served as goalkeeper coach for the Welsh women's national team and had a similar role before with England women's youth teams. She also worked as a goalkeeper coach with Liverpool and Everton in the FA Women's Super League.

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