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Rennie hired as Whitecaps coach for 2012

Rennie

Photo courtesy of NASL

The Vancouver Whitecaps believe that they have hired a coach with a vision to lead the team to the next level.

Vancouver announced the hiring of current Carolina Railhawks coach Martin Rennie as the club's new boss starting in the 2012 MLS season.

Rennie, a 36-year-old Scotland native, is widely considered to be one of the top up-and-coming coaching commodities in the United States. He's guided the Railhawks to a league-best 14-2-3 record so far during a dominant run through the NASL schedule this season.

The move will allow current interim head coach Tom Soehn to return solely to his duties as director of soccer operations. He took over coaching after the club parted ways with Teitur Thordarson on May 30.

What do you think of the hire? Do you see Rennie having success coaching in MLS?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. personally, im excited to see how martins special brand of thuggary plays out in MLS.

    in that picture hes telling his player to elbow opponents in the face, cause thats where the blood is.

    ill agree that he has had great success with limited resources wherever he has coached, and has a good eye for talent, but in watching his teams for the past 3-4 years, gotta admit they are heavy on the dirty play and low on the tactical skillz.

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  2. If you listen to Soehn’s comments after the hiring was announced, you get the sense that TS had no say in Rennie’s employment with the club, and so will not be allowed to cut Rennie loose – hopefully that decision will be in Barber’s hands. I get the feeling that Barber really knows his stuff, but is still getting used to how MLS works and who to lean on, and that Soehn is good at finding personnel and shouldn’t be allowed to do anything else. If he ceases to find good talent, Barber should cut him loose.

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  3. He’s the best up-and-coming coach in N. Amer. IMO. If he can successfully navigate the arcane transfer rules of MLS, he’ll do well in Van. He’s an over-achiever.

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  4. 3 coaches in 1 year.

    Granted theyll sell it as 2 coaches in 2 years because Rennie hasnt started yet and Soehn isnt officially a coach.

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  5. Why hire TT in the first place if you dont think hes the right man?

    Then you put Soehn in charge whos had menial success and now before (smartly) the end of the season (and start of next) you hire the hottest kid on the block who is unfortunately unexperienced in higher levels (id give him a chance too).

    They sorta had a plan A and now are jumping into a plan B.

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  6. “the negativity…”

    A lot of us DC supporters, just like to refer to it as the “Soehn factor” (ok, so maybe, I’m the only one who syas that…)

    Let’s just say that he didn’t leave too many of us very impressed around ther after he was at the helm of the local team.

    Maybe he has progressed…

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  7. I don’t understand the negativity. The Whitecaps have begun playing some attractive soccer this year. And the willingness to cut their losses on a hire they felt wasn’t working out and swooping in for this guy shows decisiveness. If I were a Whitecap fan, I’d be pretty happy about this news

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  8. They hired a coach in the summer of 2011 who doesn’t start until 2010? I have a DP I’d like to sell to them for the 2014 season.

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  9. Exactly. Very good coach. I just hope Soehn doesn’t cut him loose before he has really had a chance to thrive.

    I know guys who played for him and play for him now.

    His teams are tough and disciplined and he did really well in the third and second division with limited resources. He has an eye for talent (better than Soehn).

    Vancouver is a beautiful city. Great place to live.

    If Soehn wasn’t around, I’d say that it was a “dream ooportunity”.

    With Soehn in the mix, I can only wish Rennie “Good luck!” coz he’s gonna need need a lot of it…

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  10. feel like its a reasonable knee jerk signing. Curious to see how he does at an upper level with Soehn in the background.

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  11. As a fan of the Railhawks and someone who goes to their games every once in a while, I’m a pretty big fan of Martin. Quite the tactician he is.

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  12. Before the Railhawks he took the USL Div 2 Cleveland City Stars to second and first place finishes in their first two years of existence. His leaving the City Stars and their subsequent promotion into USL Div 1 as a so called model of success for the rest of the league was the start of the City Stars tragic demise. Great coach and I wish him the best of luck

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  13. Yes with the kind of stability their front office has shown who wouldn’t be quaking in their boots to play them? I bet players are clamoring to get in as well.

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  14. As an Impact fan, I’m incredibly sad that we couldn’t sign him (especially if we end up with Marsch as the new coach).

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  15. Montreal’s loss, I guess. If only they had been willing to let Rennie finish out the 2011 season like Vancouver is doing.

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  16. I really thought he would go to Montreal. But this is the best news a Caps fan could get. They will almost definitely be a team no one wants to play next year.

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