The New York Cosmos have announced today that Alecko Eskandarian has joined the club as an assistant coach.

"I am delighted to welcome Alecko back into the Cosmos family” said Cosmos head coach, Giovanni Savarese. "Alecko is the perfect addition to my coaching staff. Alecko grew up with the Cosmos and understands the club and I look forward to working with him. Along with his excellent playing career, Alecko has good coaching experience already and I feel he has what it takes to be a top level coach.”

Eskandarian most recently served as the Philadelphia Union’s youth technical director. Before that he enjoyed a successful MLS career, where he played for DC United, Toronto FC, Real Salt Lake, Chivas USA and the Los Angeles Galaxy. In 2004, he won the MLS Cup with DC United and was named the MLS Cup MVP. Eskandarian retired in 2010 from concussion related symptoms.

“I am very excited to be joining the New York Cosmos,” said Alecko Eskandarian. “I have many happy memories growing up around the Cosmos and this is a perfect place for me to continue my coaching career."

In his career, Eskandarian played a total of 136 matches in MLS, scoring 36 goals and he was twice named an MLS All-Star. Eskandarian represented the U.S. men’s national team once in 2003 in a match against Wales. He is also the son of the legendary Cosmos defender Andranik Eskandarian who played for the Cosmos from 1978 to 1984 and was a regular fixture at Cosmos practices as a child.

Eskandarian was the 2000 Gatorade National High School Player of the Year at Bergen Catholic High School in New Jersey. He also won the Hermann Trophy, awarded to the best college player in country, in 2002 while at the University of Virginia. In 2003, DC United selected Eskandarian with the first overall pick in the 2003 MLS Superdraft.