Philadelphia Union Academy today announced its staffing hires ahead of the 2025-26 MLS NEXT season.
Building on their U-15 squad’s MLS NEXT Cup championship earlier this year, the Academy welcomes U-18 Head Coach Chris Harmon, U-13 Head Coach Alex Ainscough, Union Juniors Director and U-12 Head Coach James Barnes, and Academy Athletic Trainer Kassandra Garcia Giron. The Union Academy begins its 2025-26 MLS NEXT season this weekend.
“We’re delighted to welcome Chris, Alex, James, and Kassandra to our staff at the Academy,” said Director of Academy and Professional Development, Jon Scheer. “Each brings a unique set of experiences that will strengthen and support our club as we strive to continue being leaders in player development across North America.”
Harmon joins the Union from Austin FC II, where he served as an Assistant Coach during the 2024 and 2025 MLS NEXT Pro seasons. During his time with Austin FC II, Harmon played a key role in helping the team win the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro Invitational, a historic match held on Saturday, July 27, which featured the reigning MLS NEXT Pro champions facing off against the Liga Expansión MX champions. Austin FC II defeated Cancún FC at Parmer Field at St. David’s Performance Center to claim the inaugural title. Additionally, Harmon helped guide two players from Austin FC II to sign first-team contracts with Austin FC. Before his time in Austin, Harmon coached across multiple age groups at the New York Red Bulls Academy. He previously served as an Academy Coach and Assistant Academy Director at Barça Academy Arizona. The U-18s will open their season on September 13 against the New York Red Bulls.
Ainscough joins the Union Academy after serving as a scout for the Philadelphia Union since March 2022, with a primary focus on the first team and Union II. He enjoyed a professional playing career from 2016 to 2024 and has coaching experience with the Boston Bolts and CoachUp. In 2020, he co-founded Ainscough Soccer, a development program dedicated to providing aspiring players with the training and resources to reach the next level. The U-13s will opened their season this past weekend with a 4-0 win against FC DELCO.
Barnes arrives from Cedar Stars Academy, where he had served as a Technical Director since 2017. During his tenure, he held multiple leadership roles, including Technical Director for Cedar Stars Academy North, Academy Director for Cedar Stars Academy Bergen, and Head Coach of the Cedar Stars Bergen U-19 MLS NEXT team. He holds an impressive list of credentials, including a USSF A License, USSF B License, UEFA B License, and the USSF Director of Coaching certification.
Giron joins the Academy after serving as an Assistant Athletic Trainer with the New York Red Bulls Academy from September 2024 to August 2025. She also worked as a Certified Athletic Trainer with Gotham FC in May 2025 and supported Gotham II as a Camp Athletic Trainer.
Philadelphia Union Academy Head Coaches
- U-18 Head Coach – Chris Harmon
- U-16 Head Coach – Peter McDonnel
- U-15 Head Coach – Ben Moane
- Head of Mid-Academy, U-14 Head Coach – Phil Karn
- U-13 Head Coach – Alex Ainscough
- Union Juniors Director, U-12 Head Coach – James Barnes
