Hartford, CT – November 14th, 2025 – Hartford Athletic Head Coach and General Manager Brendan Burke has been announced as finalist for the USL Championship Coach of the Year. Former Hartford Athletic striker Mamadou Dieng has also been announced as a finalist for USL Championship Young Player of the Year.
In late July of this year, forward Mamadou Dieng became the club’s All-Time Leading Goalscorer, across all competitions. He continued to score prolifically, ending his Hartford Athletic career with 23 all-time goals before being transferred to Minnesota United of the MLS for the largest transfer fee in program history.
Dieng was also nominated for USL Championship Player of the Month, recognizing his exceptional play through July. During that period, Dieng delivered a standout performance, including multiple goals, key assists, and consistent dominance up front.
With Coach Burke at the helm, the Boys in Green brought home Hartford Athletic’s first trophy ever and the City of Hartford’s first piece of hardware in 25 years. Battling tough road games, national team duty and injuries, the Green & Blue fought their way to the final of the USL Jägermeister Cup, where they defeated Sacramento Republic FC 1-0 on a Samuel Careaga goal.
Head Coach Brendan Burke also got his fair share of nominations, earning a spot on the TOWT three times throughout the 2025 season. In August, Burke was named Coach of the Month after going undefeated across seven matches and clinching a spot in the semifinals of the Jägermeister Cup in that month alone.
Overall, Head Coach Brendan Burke and his 2025 squad tied the club record for most points in a single season with 44. The Boys in Green also set an all-time best for wins (13) and road wins (7) this year. With this regular season success, Athletic finished in fifth place in the Eastern Conference and clinched a spot in the playoffs for just the second time ever, earning Burke the Coach of the Year nomination.
