Pat

Noonan

Noonan was born and raised in Ballwin, a suburb west of St. Louis. He attended De Smet Jesuit High School in Creve Coeur, where he starred in soccer, basketball, and baseball and earned three NSCAA All-American selections, including first-team honors in both his junior and senior seasons.

He went on to Indiana University, where he spent four seasons and finished as one of the most prolific players in Hoosiers history with 48 goals and 31 assists. His senior year he was a finalist for the Hermann Trophy, losing to Alecko Eskandarian. Selected 9th overall by the New England Revolution in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft, Noonan went on to a decade-long MLS career spanning six clubs, winning two MLS Cups (2008 with Columbus, 2012 with LA Galaxy), three U.S. Open Cups, and earning 15 caps for the USMNT. His 2004 campaign at New England, when he co-led the league in scoring alongside Amado Guevara, stands as one of the best offensive seasons turned in by a St. Louis–area player in MLS history.

After retiring as a player in 2012, Noonan built a coaching career that led him to FC Cincinnati, where he became head coach in December 2021. He transformed one of MLS's worst franchises into a powerhouse: in 2023 Cincinnati won the Supporters' Shield with the best record in the league and Noonan was named MLS Coach of the Year.