So seriously I don’t really post in the Fire Robert thread anymore because well there doesn’t seem to be anyone decent to debate with anymore. I mean if I’m not going to have three page long arguments with KCBus then what’s the point right? So let’s see if anyone has other options to offer or wants to rip apart mine. College Coaches: 1. Caleb Porter – Coach of the Akron Zips; plays a wide open attacking style; won the 2010 NCAA championship. Has a very good reputation developing players and is singularly focused on winning. Inherited the program from Ken Lolla, he did not build the program from scratch but did raise the level. Akron beats outmatched teams; there is no parity in college soccer Porter gets the best players to mold bar none. 2. Kevin Kalish – Coach of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville as a former defender his teams always play sound defense and build well out of the back. Not a boring team they can still put goals in the net but I’d say his teams are more defense first than say Porter’s teams. He is very good tactically, has the ability to make sound in game adjustments to counter his opponent in game. 3. Brendan Eitz – Coach of the Loyola Ramblers, took a team that had a 3-15-1 record in 2004 to an 11-7-2 record in 2006 and the teams first appearance in the NCAA tournament. Great motivator, get’s a lot out of what he has to work with. His best “name” player since he’s been there is probably our very own Eric Gehrig. Loyola builds their name off of defense but they can score goals as well as any team not names Akron. 4. Jeremy Gunn – Just took over at Stanford after getting Charlotte to the NCAA championship game… 5. Kelly Findley – Now at NC State after pushing Butler to become one of the top teams in the nation… 4/5 continued a little to defensive four my taste both coaches tend to play with two hard nosed D-Mids, while they’ve been very successful at the college level I don’t really want them on the Crew sidelines. MLS Assistants/Nat Level: Seeing as these guys have never been a head coach I don’t have as much to back anything up. 1. Richie Williams – Yeah, yeah and all that Long time assistant in the league Bruce Arena groomed player/coach; you can hate Arena as much as you want to but you can’t tell me he’s a poor coach. Never the most talented guy on the field as a player but always a leader, he was an intense player and I would imagine he would expect that out of his players as a coach. 2. Steve Ralston – I always thought he read the game well as a player, seems more low key. Would be fine if he was brought in for an interview wouldn’t be scandalized if someone else got the job. 3. Ian Russell – Much like Ralston I thought he read the game well, only difference between the two hmmm oh yeah Ian won some trophies sorry Steve. Again would be happy if he were brought in to interview. Not going to bother putting guys like Tab Ramos down as I think he’s happy where he is for now. Former Crew: GBS – Ummm because he’s GBS and if this is our worst option I’m perfectly fine with it.
Porter turned down DCU not long ago, granted they were horrible at the time. Not sure he'd want to leave Akron yet. Knowing that now is the time to fire RW, HSG and MM won't act for at least another 2 years, so maybe Porter will be ready then...
Maybe someone has a better memory than me. But I thought when he turned down that DCU job it came to light that other MLS teams were after him. I thought the word on the street was that he wouldn't go to MLS unless it was Columbus. I think there was something about not leaving his family or something. Does anyone else have a better recollection about this?
I'll throw a few more out there: -Adrian Heath (Orlando City) -Jeremy Fishbein (U of New Mexico; a Cincinnati native)
I'd be down with Steve Ralston. We need someone in the Steve Ralston mold. Recent past player. Preferably someone has won one or more MLS Cups. It's so #Crew96 to wait until GBS is hired in Argentina to do a coaching search isn't it? No college coaches please. It's a totally different sport and a totally different bunch of responsibilities in MLS.
I know nothing about Heath, but I read somewhere that he's solid. I'd still like to see Gary Smith. I wouldn't be opposed to Colin Clarke, either.
I agree but that's why I have the likes of Porter, Kalish, and Eitz in my thumbs up column and Gunn and Findley down even with their success. The latter two might be more successful than Kalish and Eitz but that doesn't mean they'd be better at this level.
Porter would be the ONLY college coach that I'd accept simply because his coaching style is more of a professional brand. that said, with his 10 year contract at Akron, I'd imagine that the buyout clause would be to hefty for the HSG's taste... which would be around 5, 6 bucks. Maybe we can trade RW up there for Porter with a training staff to be named later? People are going to bag on him for his USMNT squad's failure to make the Olympics... and rightfully so. But, BUT, I also think that people can learn on their jobs (though RW is beyond that point now).
Yeah I think they made his buyout pretty bad for the next couple years so he probably isn't an option. That said he's still the best coach the college ranks have to offer so I wasn't going to take him off.
Sigi is the one exception to the rule. Other than that, YOUR favorite homie Bearded Clam ruined my taste in NCAA coaches, especially ones with no top-level playing experience, foreign or domestically.
Gary Smith wasn't phenomenally successful in Colorado, and I know the fans there didn't like him (plus, he has a job back in England). Clarke has one of the most experienced and talented sides in NASL this year and is firmly mid-table.
Gary Smith guided the Rapids to their first trophy (MLS Cup) in 2010. His team also advanced beyond the playoffs play-in round in 2011. In 2008 and 2009, he narrowly missed the playoffs (2 points off pace in 2008 and lost on tiebreakers in 2009). Overall, he went 47-30-35 (W-L-D) with the Rapids. I think he'd be a step up from Bobby, and I'd hope we could lure him from League One. One season does not a coach make. Clarke has a lot of experience, manages with passion, and has coached some successful squads.
Clarke's resume in the CCL alone is something that would stand out if I were interviewing/hiring. HSG suits DO know of the man from his time with FC Dallas, so that would sort of keep with that redundant "hiring within the family" practice, although he was let go by them.
Immediately yes, if RW gets canned, at the least on an interim level. But for sure, I'll be flooding the HSG inbox, their family's email and McCullers et all. They're all getting spammed by me to go outside
I would hope that if an internal interim was brought up it would Ibirarren. The players like Bliss even less than RW.
Clarke's final table placement with PRI/Carolina: 2007-6th 2008-1st 2009-3rd 2010-8th 2011-2nd 2012-currently 5th I'll grant that it's difficult to compete in three competitions at once as a lower-tier team. Props for that. Still, all his CCL success proves is that he's really good at coaching bunkerball. Gary Smith with Colorado: 2008-4th in west 2009-6th in west 2010-5th in west 2011-5th in west Winning an MLS Cup is great, it really is. But it really just comes down to being hot at the right time, and we all know that. Smith was mediocre during in his stint in Colorado, and that's why he got fired. I should point out that half of his tenure was spent "narrowly missing the playoffs," which is what we're probably going to do with RW at the helm. Why settle for more of the same?