Clarke out as FC Dallas head coach
By Pat Martin, Soccer Editor
Frisco, TX (Sports Network) - Major League Soccer's FC Dallas announced Tuesday that it will not be renewing the contract of head coach Colin Clarke for next season.
The announcement comes after the Hoops suffered a heart-breaking loss in the Western Conference Semifinal Series to Colorado in penalty kicks a week ago Saturday.
"Today FC Dallas announces that we will not renew Colin Clarke's contract as the head coach for FC Dallas and we will start the search for a new head coach immediately," FC Dallas General Manager Michael Hitchcock said in a media conference call Tuesday. "This was not an easy decision. We had our best season in franchise history on and off the field and we have an extremely talented team. Colin and his staff deserve a lot of credit for assembling a great roster but I felt we didn't reach our potential this year. We've made a commitment to win championships for our fans and I feel that a change was necessary to take that next step."
Clarke, 41, came to Dallas in March 2001 as an assistant coach under former head coach, Mike Jeffries. He was named the interim head coach on Sept. 15, 2003 and posted a 2-3-1 record in the final six games of that season. On December 4, 2003, Clarke officially became the teams third head coach and in three-plus seasons posted a record of 41-39-20 during regular season play. Clarke also led FC Dallas to the MLS Cup playoffs in each of the last two seasons - both shootout losses to Colorado.
This season's playoff loss was especially hard to swallow considering the Hoops were heavily favored as the number-one seed in the Western Conference. The team went up 1-0 after the first leg of the aggregated semifinal series before eventually losing to the Rapids in penalty kicks.
"At the end of the day it was my decision to make," Hitchcock said. "... We looked at the fact that this team, who I feel is, if not the most talented roster in the league, one of the most talented rosters, underachieved and we didn't reach our potential. I needed to make the decision I thought was right and I feel the change in leadership was the right decision."
Steve Morrow, a former FC Dallas player and current assistant coach, will serve as the interim head coach and is the probable front-runner for the position.
Prior to joining the team in 2002, Morrow spent the previous four years with Queen Park Rangers in the first division in England. His stint with QPR followed a 10-year career with Arsenal of the Premiership, beginning his professional career with the Gunners at the age of 17.
Morrow will assist Hitchcock in determining which player contracts and options to renew, which must be done by Dec. 1. Also, the team must decide which 11 players on the roster to protect for the Nov. 17 expansion draft for Toronto FC.
"I am going to work with Steve Morrow as the interim head coach and the rest of the coaching staff," Hitchock said. "We are going to make all personnel decisions over the next couple weeks.
"Having Steve Morrow as an interim head coach (is very beneficial). He knows this team extremely well. He has been a part of building this team and I have complete faith in Steve that when Steve and I sit down and analyze, as we have all season, the players and the team, that we know pretty much what we are going to need to do. It is just a matter of making those final decisions," Hitchcock added.
Hitchcock hopes to have a new head coach in place by the end of the year.
The MLS Cup Championship will take place Sunday at 3:30 p.m. (ET) in Frisco, Texas - the home of FC Dallas.
"We are proud to host the league's showcase event, but it is a little disappointing that we are not going to be playing in front of our own fans with an opportunity to win a championship and elevate the status of this franchise," Hitchock said. "You go into every season wanting to win the MLS Cup, that's why we do this, but this year was extremely important.
"The fact that we were hosting it at home and the fact that we had an opportunity to create something pretty special (makes it that much more disappointing) so we are pretty disappointed about the fact that we are not going to be able to play on Sunday," Hitchcock added.
11/07 14:16:05 ET