Photo by Kelley L Cox/USA TODAY Sports
By SBI SOCCER
In the aftermath of yet another loss, Chicago Fire front office has finally seen enough.
The Fire announced Sunday that the club has parted ways with head coach and director of soccer Frank Yallop, as well as assistant coaches Marc Bircham and Clint Mathis. Technical director Brian Bliss will serve as the team’s interim head coach while former Fire captain Logan Pause has been named interim assistant coach.
In addition, Nelson Rodríguez, a long-time and well-respected American soccer administrator, has been named the team’s general manager.
“I share our fans’ frustration and, while we’ve enjoyed success off the pitch, I’m obviously not happy with the results on it. I felt the need to make changes now in order to better position ourselves for the off-season and beyond,” said owner Andrew Hauptman. “I have tremendous confidence about the future of this club in Nelson’s hands and am beyond thrilled to bring him to Chicago.”
The changes come in the aftermath of yet another three game losing streak, as the Fire currently sit in last place in MLS with just 27 points through 29 games.
Yallop, who took charge of the team in 2013, finishes with a record of 13-23-24 as Fire head coach.
Rodriguez joins the Fire with a wealth of MLS experience, having most recently served as Chivas USA president and the league’s Senior Vice President of Strategic Business Development during the club’s final year of existence. In addition, Rodriguez supervised the league’s technical committee, while also expanding the leagues scouting and analytical work.
“Nelson is a proven leader with a stellar national reputation, an exceptionally skilled soccer mind and has extensive experience working alongside players and coaches,” Hauptman added. “He is uniquely qualified to build and manage our technical team and lead our Club, while more closely aligning our on field efforts with the activities of our dynamic front office led by COO Atul Khosla.”
What do you think of the Yallop firing? What do you expect from the Fire in the coming months?
Share your thoughts below.
i’ll bite. how does a football club “enjoy success off the pitch”? you chug beers at the pub better than any other mls club?
Petke to Fire? I’ve seen stranger things..
i like it!
This makes no sense that they would decide to fire Fire Coach Yallop now. The Fire have no chance of finishing the season in the playoffs. Let him finish the year, get a coach search started and bring in the right guy in the off season to make a plan.
The Fire haven’t been good since Peter Wilt was given the heave ho after building the first Toyota Stadium in the suburbs.
why did the fire fire Dennis?
Cuauhtémoc Blanco.
Dennis Hamlett at Chicago, winners. Dennis Hamlett at NYRB, winners. He needs another shot at the helm.
Please no more Yallop in MLS as a head coach
I thought Bliss did a good job with the Crew as the interim man after Warzycha. Obviously,
I think that the Black and Gold really made an awesome hire in Berhalter, but I think that Bliss showed he could take a free-falling team and at least move them in the right direction.
Is there something about Bliss that keeps him from consideration that I’m missing?
Please don’t want bliss or Pause don’t see how in technical players can teach the technical game. I don’t get hiring someone from the Chivas org. What happened the general manager of the Washington Generals was unavailable? Hire Willy Roy!!!!!!
Bliss gets the ‘Temp’ label again. It will be interesting to see if he can convince them he’s their man to captain the ship (on Fire)! -Ha! get it?!? It’s a ship! and it’s on Fire!!
I think there is a pun in there about Harry Shipp as well, but I’ll leave it be.
No Drogba…no job….
funny to see how far downhill the Fire coaching staff has gone since bradley….
You realize he left the team 13 years ago, after a losing season of his own. The team made the playoffs 6 out 7 years after he left, including 2 US Open Cup Championships, and a Supporter’s Shield. Perhaps you meant since Dave Sarachan? Or Denis Hamlett, the team has only made the playoffs once since his departure in 2009?
That’s like saying boy the Red Bulls have finally turned it around from that Bradley debacle (36% winning percentage and never making it passed the first round of the playoffs).