Technical Staff

Candela joined Omaha in January 2024 after a ten-year playing career that saw him make 144 professional appearances and play over 8,000 minutes. He made his debut in 2013 and went on to play abroad in Germany, Sweden, Belgium and his native Colombia, where he was a second-division finalist in 2017. His U.S. career included successful stints with Charleston Battery, New York Cosmos and Detroit City. In USL League One, he won the 2022 Players’ Shield with Richmond Kickers. In addition to his on-field experience, Candela has spent six years coaching at academy and youth levels in both Colombia and the U.S.

Jay Bhindi hails from Canada to become an assistant coach for the 2025 season. Bhindi has a UEFA A coaching license, as well as a lengthy history in analysis and assistant coaching. He began his coaching career with Ottawa Fury FC in the NASL (and later USL Championship) as an academy coach, working with just about every youth level from 2011 to 2017. His work as an analyst during his time in Ottawa would yield his next opportunity as an analyst with Austin Bold FC.

Bhindi would take the step up to a first team assistant coaching gig back in his homeland with FC Edmonton of the Canadian Premier League. After they folded, he reunited with a former colleague in Ottawa by taking an assistant coach and analyst position with CPL’s Valour FC in Winnipeg. Bhindi is also fluent in four languages: English, Turkish, Portuguese, and French.

Drew Crawford joins Union Omaha as a goalkeeping coach after years in the college ranks. Crawford comes to Omaha after two and a half years as an assistant coach at Yale University, which included the Bulldogs winning the 2023 Ivy League tournament and earning a bid at the College Cup.
Before that, he spent time at Stetson University, as well as Missouri State University as a goalkeeping coach and set-piece coach. The latter would make it to the College Cup, where MSU was knocked out by Creighton. Crawford was also an assistant coach and Director of Operations at his alma mater, the University of Akron, and saw College Cup runs in multiple years there as well. Crawford holds a US Soccer D License in addition to a Goalkeeper III diploma from United Soccer Coaches.