Jay Heaps after 5 years: still the right guy for the job?

Oh yeah, as players they don't compare. But Clavijo was definitely the more accomplished coach at the time of Stevie's promotion.

And yes, like Nicol did, Heaps should be learning the craft at a lower level side. He's just not cut out for MLS coaching yet, at least not at the head level.

 

Revolution social media doing their part to reinforce that Heaps belongs at the helm....

Five #NERevs in the @MLS Team of the Week! One for each goal scored on Saturday.

Oh, and the Team of the Week Coach: Jay Heaps

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/zrIOIy5hYS

— New England Revolution (@NERevolution) March 27, 2017

Coach of The Week!



(Never mind that only 6 teams played this week....)

There were only three games in the league this week, and we played Minnesota at home. Pump the brakes. #NERevs #TeamOfTheWeek

— Matty Jollie (@MattyJollie) March 27, 2017

 

Just bumping this thread - not going to post thoughts until after I see what Jay does and how the team looks in DC game tomorrow.

 

At some point he is going to have to step it up. So far, the team looks much better overall on the defensive side, but we don't know if that's Llamosa's influence. It certainly helps that they picked up 3 quality defenders in the off-season, but it is a concern that they are/were blindsided with Tierney's decline.

On the offensive side, many of us have said all along that he needs to figure out how to work the many decent quality pieces together. Whether it is a formation change depending on matchups or squad rotation or just figuring how to play to each guy's strengths, a good coach needs to figure this out.

The whole is less than the sum of its parts, and that needs to change before we get too far into the season. That said, I don't expect the Revs to make any moves at all until next off-season. Summer signings or a trade within the league could help, but I don't expect it.

 

I'm willing to bet it is. Hell, Llamosa should be the heir apparent. He's worked for the Revo before.

 

I believe that Heaps should be let go. However, I think Heaps will see the benefits of Kraft/Revs loyalty, hands off management, being in the playoff hunt (a certainty through mid September for 90% of MLS teams) and being a member of the current A license coaching program.

That leads us to next year where he will be given enough time to implement and prove out what he has learned while earning his A license in addition to the grace period that comes with getting new player X and losing player Y.

I would like to see Heaps replaced as I do think it will make a difference on the field, but I fear that when Heaps leaves it will be because he has decided to move on.

 

Nothing like fostering a "culture of accountability!"

 

but they are going to land a huge player this summer who will arrive in Sept but that's not really enough time for heaps to get him integrated so they will give Heaps another year to work his magic

 

I predict he will be given the axe by the middle of our annual summer winless streak. Bold, I know.

 

Nah, the swoon will be 4-5 games tops, not enough to get him fired, especially if it happens after the Pats start training camp. They will stumble along and be "in contention for a playoff spot" until the last 2 weeks, but it will all be dependent on exactly the right results happening, like a few years ago.

And since we "almost" made the playoffs, it will be enough to convince Burns that we are on the right track. Besides, it's too much effort to find another coach.

 

That is my sneaking suspicion. Why rock the boat?

 

The reason it's too much effort is that the Krafts have neither the skills nor the connections to find an improvement on either Burns or Heaps.

 

So the Earthquakes have fired Kinnear. Hello Revs FO. You could hire a real coach and send Heaps back to the corporate world. Probably get Ralston in that as well. DO IT

 

Can't stand Kinnear. He'd try to turn Kamara/Agudelo into the bash brothers. Has one of the best young American #10 players (Jackson Yueill), one of the best winger prospects (Tommy Thompson), and a very good Euro winger, Hyka. Instead he played bashball and Yuiell doesn't see the field.
Also, I still remember '06 and '07.

 

Kinnear is not the answer. But it's interesting to see a team like the Quakes bring in a young DP who liooks like he could be the real deal, and fire their coach in the same week. Clearly, they are not OK with the status quo. Unlike us, where as long as we are still "contending" for a playoff spot, everything is find.

We're on the cusp!

 

Again the play was mostly there but we are finding ways to lose games rather than win them. We need to reverse that. USOC at Harvard on Wed.

— Brian Bilello (@RevsPrez) June 24, 2017

Why must he post things like this?

 

Maybe because it has more credibility than tweeing that losing the game didn't really happen and that it's a "hoax"?

 

Just saying that because he's available and he has coached two MLS champions. We have a long history of bad coaches and I think its time to do something about that.

IDK if he's the answer but I do know Heaps isn't. If not Kinnear, maybe Ralston?

Heaps has to go

 

I feel Heaps must go. Experimenting with any coach having Kinnear's pedigree would be a luxury I'd like to try. Kinnear may even shine a spotlight on the incompetence that is Mike Burns and force a change there. I wish the Revs would stop hiring coaches for long tenures as a default. If you have a good/successful coach and you want to foster stability then by all means, but I feel like the Revs hire a coach and then do not revisit that decision for 5 to 8 years, regardless of results. Absentee Owner + Incompetent GM + Bad Coach = Relegation worthy Club.

 

Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to give Kinnear a year and a half contract and see how it goes, but as CynicRev says, that would likely strech into 5-6 years before anything changes, even if he's Heaps II.

But if a good coach became available, it's certainly worth considering. Like the Habs hired Claude Julien when he wore out his welcome here. But note that it didn't make a bit of difference for them.

But why would a good coach be available in mid-season? Unless they decide to hire someone from a big club in a leage that just finished playing...

 

I'm reminded of Grady Little's "If a frog had wings, it wouldn't bump its booty" line. I'm not sure why.