Reading United announced on Friday the appointment of Stephen Hogan as head coach.

Hogan also assumes the role of assistant coach at Bethlehem Steel FC where he will work with former Reading United head coach Brendan Burke, who was a former teammate and coach of the native of Dublin, Ireland.

Hogan replaces David Castellanos, who coached the Philadelphia Union Premier Development League affiliate for two seasons following the departure of Brendan Burke in 2013.

Returning to Reading after two years as head coach of the College of Saint Rose’s men’s team, Hogan said in a statement, “First of all I want to thank the Philadelphia Union for the opportunity to bring me into the fold. I am extremely excited to get involved in the future development of all aspects of the club. Going back to Reading United is like going home for me. It is where I started my coaching career and will do everything I can to bring the team back into the playoffs.”

Brendan Burke described the former holding midfielder as “the perfect choice for this role.”

“He helped us build the Reading United PDL program as a player, captain and recruiter the first time around and has the Head Coaching experience he needs now after a successful stint at St. Rose to handle the demands of taking over the program that he helped to build in Reading,” Burke explained. “His work across both levels of the club with the PDL and USL will serve as another natural communication bridge that we believe will be important to our growth at the highest levels of the club. This should help to ensure that first team directives and messages are clearly communicated up and down our development ladder. We are happy for Stephen to be taking the next big step in his career with us here in Philadelphia, Bethlehem, and Reading.”

Reading United president Art Auchenbach also welcomed the return of Hogan, who played for the club between 2007 and 2010.

“Steve was a great player for us and along with Brendan, was instrumental in the ‘rebirth’ of the Reading PDL franchise,” said Auchenbach. “He fully understands our setup, our partnership with the Union, and most importantly what it takes to balance player development with a winning mentality in the competitive PDL Mid Atlantic Division. Steve will reinvigorate the ‘path to pro’ model that Reading United has been so well known for. We are thrilled to have Steve back in the Reading United/Bethlehem Steel/Philadelphia Union setup.”

The former Reading United captain is tied for second for the most appearances with the club at 52.