FC Dallas officially introduced Schellas Hyndman as the fifth head coach in the club’s history on Tuesday. With the decision made, and Hyndman on board, it is time to start thinking about the decision the club just made.
Can a coach who has spent two decades coaching college really make the adjustment to MLS? Is FC Dallas really planning to hire John Ellinger as Hyndman’s assistant? Is FC Dallas talented enough to make a title run?
I have absolutely no confidence in this move and it screams of cluelessness by FC Dallas owner Clark Hunt, who played for Hyndman at SMU.
I’m sure Hyndman knows his soccer, but color me unimpressed by his track record at SMU. If you are the only Division I college program in the talent-rich state of Texas then you had better have a full trophy case. Luckily for Hyndman, he inherits a strong roster with some very good young talent. It seems like a roster well-suited for an inexperienced MLS coach with 20 years coaching young players.
More shocking than the appointment of Hyndman is hiring of Ellinger as Hyndman’s assistant. Ellinger reportedly will help Hyndman adjust to MLS by using his experience in the league to guide the career college coach. Now, if Ellinger is focusing on youth development then he’s a great hire, but bringing him aboard because of his MLS experience would be like hiring General Custer because of his experience fighting Indians.
What do you think of Hyndman’s hiring? Share your thoughts below.
“The guy knows soccer, but more importantly, knows how to work with players.”
Dan, this was said about John Ellinger before he took over Real Salt Lake.
Also, Bob Bradley was an assistant at D.C. United for two years before being Chicago head coach.
Sigi? Bob Bradley? B. Arena? any of these names mean anything? they were hired straight from the college coaching ranks… Arena and Sigi won D1 tourney’s and Bradley didn’t. I would give S. Hyndman a chance. The guy knows soccer, but more importantly, knows how to work with players.
The Bidwills don’t “learn” from their experience. They actually don’t do anything with it.
Michael Bidwill, who is now running the show at the Cardinals camp, is trying to erase all the bad business and bad history his father created. But right now, it’s turned out to be too big of a saddened state to overcome.
But even when he’s trying to do that, he’s burning his own bridges around the state as well with shrewd business acumen.
Carlos Ruiz can be heard laughing in LA….
As an FCD fan I’m tentatively OK with the move, but I hope he doesn’t become Technical Director as well. Schellas and Ellinger are both well-suited to guiding young players’ development, and this is the youngest club in the league. If they can help make Dax, Alvarez, Wallace, Shea, Avila, Lambo, and a couple kids on FCD Juniors better, then these will be a positive hires for the long term health of the club. Are they championship contenders? Only if they make a huge signing of a A-Mid or forward during the summer window, and add a little more depth to the defense.
I do like that the first time anyone saw Ellinger in Frisco, he was scouting the FCD reserves game.
props for the us history allusion
Well said zenabi. As a fellow season ticket holder, I’m willing to give the guy a chance. we all had our favorites, but I’ll give this guy a chance. Really, what are my options? Hopefully some of the young talent develops, because there’s a lot of it there.
East River,
The Bidwill’s have owned sports teams — and one in particular, the NFL Cardinals — for *ALOT* longer than the Hunts, and they *STILL* suck year after year. Just because you have “vast experience”, does not mean have a clue what the hell you are doing.
Good thing Ellinger will be able to bring his vast experience (at sucking) to the team …
as a season tix holder, I’m damn disappointed but willing to give him a chance. this club needs a tune-up, not an overhaul. as long as he doesn’t try to re-make it he should do at least as well as morrow (I hope). look, he’s also a long time fan of the club and has seen as many games as anyone out there…if he’s half a coach he should be fine.
Of course, this is a terrible hire because it is Hyndman’s fault that he wasn’t able to schedule quality opponents in Texas when the nearest real competition at the top level is on the coasts…..
And Ellinger brings absolutely nothing on the youth soccer/U-17, etc./front.
Right.
I’m not saying its the cat’s meow – on paper, there are obvious questions.
But they are questions to be answered, not foregone conclusions.
What I want to know is when FC Dallas fires him, will the headlines read “FC Dallas breaks its Hyndman”?
Since they are not hiring a European genius I think this is better than an MLS retread that has lost everywhere else. I guess we just have to wait and see.
On Ellinger I think it is a good move because of the age of this team which i think is about 23 or 24.
You think after decades of owning sport teams that the Hunts would know better. If they wanted to take a gamble on a coach they should have reached out to one of these teams they call “partners” and gotten a coach from Mexico or Brazil. If I was Dallas ticket holder I would tolerate that way before this stupid move. Then they go and get Ellinger! What is Clark Hunt thinking?
“. . . bringing him aboard because of his MLS experience would be like hiring General Custer because of his experience fighting Indians”
Spot on. Another Ives zinger!
Ives,
I’m not familiar with Hyndman’s coaching career, but I’m rofl at the Custer-Ellinger analogy. =)