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Schmetzer Appointed Head Coach of Sounders FC

By USLSoccer.com Staff, 11/02/16, 10:50PM EDT

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Former USL Coach of the Year named as second Head Coach in club’s MLS history


Photo courtesy Jane Gershovich / Seattle Sounders FC

Former USL Coach of the Year Brian Schmezter, who led Seattle Sounders FC to a pair of championships prior to the club’s move to Major League Soccer, was named as the second Head Coach in the club’s MLS history on Wednesday night at the Alliance Annual Business Meeting in Seattle.

Schmetzer, who earned USL Coach of the Year honors in 2002, had been the Sounders’ interim Head Coach since the departure of Sigi Schmid in July this year. After leading the club to its seventh consecutive Audi MLS Cup Playoffs berth with an outstanding end to the regular season, Seattle made Schmetzer’s position permanent at the annual meeting.

"We are extremely pleased to announce Brian as the Head Coach of Seattle Sounders FC," said Seattle Owner Adrian Hanauer. "His connection to this city and club goes back decades, long before I hired him to manage the USL Sounders in 2002. He has always been an incredible steward of the organization and ambassador for our club in the community, and what he and the team have accomplished on the field over the past three months is worthy of recognition. With that sentiment in mind, we look forward to seeing him continue his great work this season and beyond."

The 54-year-old Schmetzer helmed the Sounders for seven seasons in the USL from 2002-2008, guiding the club to USL-1 championships in 2005 and 2007, as well as a pair of Commissioner's Cups for the league's best regular-season record and six postseason appearances in seven years. He was named USL Coach of the Year in 2002 after leading the Sounders to a 23-4-1 record and league championship, finishing his time in the USL with a 100-57-41 overall regular-season record.


Photo courtesy Corky Trewin / Seattle Sounders FC

This year, he led the biggest turnaround in MLS history after taking over Sounders FC managerial duties following the club's parting of ways with longtime skipper Sigi Schmid on July 26. With Seattle then in ninth place in the Western Conference with a record of 6-12-2, Schmetzer's leadership immediately sparked a five-match unbeaten run (3-0-2). The squad continued its groove with an unbeaten run in September in which it jumped up the table from ninth place to postseason positioning. Sounders FC secured its eighth consecutive berth in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs with a 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake on Decision Day, capping a late-season run with just two losses in 14 matches (8-2-4), the most points in MLS over that span. Under Schmetzer's guidance, Seattle became the first team in league history to make the postseason after recording 20 or fewer points through the first 20 matches of the season.

"The Sounders organization and the culture of our club has been a big part of my adult life," said Schmetzer. "Highlighted by the fans' relationship to the players and staff and a history of achievement on the field, what we have built here is very special. I am grateful for the opportunities that I've received here as a player, a coach in the club's USL era, and now as Head Coach of the MLS team. I believe in the fact that for our players, this is their team, and they have responded by taking complete ownership of the season and driving us into the playoffs. I give them full credit for that, but our work isn't finished yet. My goal is to make sure we can all enjoy this ride a little longer deep into the postseason."

Schmetzer is currently unbeaten in nine games at CenturyLink Field (7-0-2), including a pair of shutout wins in the Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs. After clinching the fourth spot with a Decision Day win over RSL, Seattle edged Sporting Kansas City in a tight 1-0 result in the Knockout Round before dismantling first-place FC Dallas 3-0 in the first leg of the Western Conference Semifinals. Sounders FC now travels to Dallas for the second leg this Sunday as Schmetzer aims to take his side to the Conference Finals for the third time in club history.

"Brian has a long history of winning as a Sounders Head Coach and a Sounders Assistant Coach, and I'm very happy that he's able to continue to be in charge of the team. We think his experience in the past is going to translate, as it has over the past three months of the season, and bring the club continued success going forward," said Sounders FC Sporting Director Chris Henderson. "On a personal note, I've known the Schmetzer family my entire life and I'm very excited that Brian will be representing this club and soccer in the state of Washington in 2017 and beyond."

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