I don't follow the Fire closely, and I would like to know what's up with Asst. Coach Mike Jeffries. I've not heard that he is a candidate to replace Hamlett; in fact I've not heard his name mentioned as a candidate for any of the open coaching jobs. Do you Fire fans have some information?
Q: Mike Jeffries? A: No, thanks. To answer your query, there has been no conversation about him being a candidate for Fire coach. We'll see what happens.
I am a little surprised he hasn't even been brought up as an option, especially considering he does have experience as a head coach in MLS, but I kind of doubt they'd fire Hamlett and then hire one of his assistants. Especially when the coach they just fired was previously an assistant with the team.
This is why: Code: Eastern Conference GP W L T PTS GF GA STREAKS LAST 10 Chicago Fire 30 15 7 8 53 53 43 Lost 1 5-3-2 New England Revolution 30 12 9 9 45 55 47 Won 5 7-2-1 MetroStars 30 11 10 9 42 40 40 Lost 2 3-5-2 D.C. United 30 10 11 9 39 38 36 Tied 1 3-4-3 Columbus Crew 30 10 12 8 38 44 44 Won 2 5-3-2 Western Conference GP W L T PTS GF GA STREAKS LAST 10 San Jose Earthquakes 30 14 7 9 51 45 35 Tied 1 4-4-2 Kansas City Wizards 30 11 10 9 42 48 44 Tied 1 4-4-2 Colorado Rapids 30 11 12 7 40 40 45 Lost 2 3-3-4 Los Angeles Galaxy 30 9 12 9 36 35 35 Tied 1 4-5-1 [B]Dallas Burn 30 6 19 5 23 35 64 Won 1 2-7-1[/B] ...though to be fair, he was only responsible for the first 24 games, in which an impressive 4-16-4 record was compiled.
Any new head coach would probably insist on bringing in his own favored assistants, so Mike probably goes. And he may not be very good; his record in Dallas wasn't much and he didn't get the head coaching gig at his alma mater, Duke, even though he appeared to be the heir apparent after being an assistant for years. Oh well, I'm sure he has options other than soccer: he earned a double major at Duke (electrical engineering and public policy) and a masters degree in finance at Tulane.
Jesus Christ is the ghost of Hamlett alive around here trying to ruffle everyone's feathers in some way? Hedbal. Seriously are you another fcucccking sock puppet douchebag? Mike Jefferies? Seriously?!!? I'd rather drink a gallon of bleach and stab my eyeballs with splintered toothpicks before entertaining the thought.
Fortunately, your last sentence answered my question. Otherwise, I would have thought your post the ravings of a depraved lunatic. And no, I don't think anyone would call me a "fcucccking sock puppet douchebag"; and I'm saddened to learn that you have to deal with so many of these that you ask if I am "another." I was puzzled that Jeffries' name never came up in discussions about any of the several MLS coaching vacancies and suspected that he is not held in high regard. That, I take it, is the thrust of your message. Since I live in the DC United area I know little about how Fire coaches are rated. I don't know Mike except to say "hello" to, but my eldest son played briefly with Mike in college (the year he won the Herrman Trophy) and more recently in an alumni match in Boston reproducing an apparently well-remembered Duke-Harvard NCAA semifinal match of many years ago. So that is why I came on the Fire boards to ask my innocent question. And I wouldn't object if you chug down that bottle of bleach.
Haha, I'd forgotten it was 2003 that he was coaching them. I don't remember him doing well, but I didn't remember just how bad it was.
Oh so now you want me to chug down more bleach? Done. Welcome indeed. Too much flying around here semi-lately supporting 'you know who' (not Tom Riddle ) for me to fly off the handle in some insane alcohol related way. I apologize for my outburst but the thought of Jeffries landing the head coaching position leads to thoughts of self mutilation with rusty and extremely blunt metal instruments being more pleasurable... then breathing normally.
I'm having a hard time following the logic of Fire fans in regards to coaching. Lemme see, don't even consider hiring Jeffries in part because he was an assistant and yet hire another team's assistan who hasn't proven squat on any level? In regards to his stint at Dallas, that was a lousy ass team in which money wasn't going to be spent, so it was a F..ed situation from the get go. The Duke job wasn't going his way anytime soon and he could have led another college program (and still can) had he decided not to return to MLS. Seriously, what planet do you guys come from when it comes to selecting a coach?
What El Jefe fails to mention is that 2003 was the disastrous year of the Burn playing in Dragon Stadium, a high school field with permanently painted lines, purple end zones, and woefully poor attendance. The Hunts sabotaged the club that year in the name of cheapness. It was so bad they came crawling back to the Bowl in 2004. Jeffries had Dallas at 12-9-7 the year before (2002), in the Cotton Bowl. Now--as I recall, he had some major man-management and temper issues the entire time he was there, so I'm not excusing him from that, but to say 2003 was all his fault is ridiculous.
I believe I was born on Pluto which isn't classified as a 'planet' anymore... You want to know what I want? A breath of fresh air. Not another 'recycled' Fire original or MLS original assistant or otherwise coach thrown into a situation they can't handle at the helm. Well I'd take Piotr in a heartbeat or Bob but that's not in the cards. So... I'm really hoping we get / hire a coach that plays a balanced style. This defense 'first and foremost' has cost us under the hammer and lawn gnome regime since around 2004 (2003 team was inherited from Bob). I will admit it's damn tricky to be a successful coach in MLS. You have to know and understand the budget constraints / the draft / have to have a knowledge of young players even outside our country / etc... You can't throw money around to solve your dilemma here. And no I don't claim to have the answer for our coaching position / solution. Though I'd like someone with the attitude and 'tell it like it is' mentality of a certain Eric Wynalda.
How about this guy? http://www.mls-rumors.net/5046/2009/12/report-mike-matkovich-linked-with-fire-head-job/
In your ultimately futile effort to be clever, you fail to mention the following: 1. Mike Jeffries had control of personnel issues and I suppose that if you think that the playing surface was going to be such a great factor, he could've adjusted the roster (more speed, for instance) to account for the different playing surface. But he did nothing. The main changes from 2002 to 2003 were to replace the competent Matt Jordan (who went off to Europe) with the young and ultimately useless D.J. Countess and to let Jorge Rodriguez go without really replacing him. As a wise man once said, "You're either getting better or you're getting worse," and the 2003 Burn were definitely worse than their 2002 counterparts, no matter what playing surface. 2. But I doubt the playing surface was the problem. The Burn stunk on the road even more than they did at home, finishing 1-11-3. Say what you will about the crapitude of Dragon Stadium -- and it did suck -- but the team was actually almost mediocre there: 5-8-2. The team was crap for most of the 2003 season, and the bulk of the blame goes to Mike Jeffries. (The remainder goes to the injuries to Ronnie O'Brien and Jason Kreis.) He did a poor job strengthening the team in the 2002-03 offseason to the point where it was actually weaker from one season to the next and would've played poorly at any home stadium (as evidenced by their road record), he was unable to rally the team, to grind out results, after the aforementioned key injuries and after strings of poor results, and he made one panicked trade after another to try and turn things around. Really, I'm shocked that you even bothered with your post. No one likes to take shots at HSG more than I do, and I was at Dragon Stadium for that entire hellish season, and even I didn't place the blame at either doorstep. The 2003 Burn were a bad team and would've sucked even if they had played at the Cotton Bowl and the main reason for that suckitude was the failings of one Mike Jeffries. In the end, there's a reason why the team immediately improved to mediocrity after Jeffries was fired. (See also: 2009 Red Bulls under Osorio vs. Williams) Mike Jeffries is a very smart guy and an affable guy, but he is simply not a leader of men. No shame in that, but not a good candidate for a head coaching gig. Having said that, as a rival fan, I would be delighted if the Fire were to lose their minds and promote him.
