Colorado Rapids head coach Gary Smith announced today two additions to his technical staff as Steve Guppy joins the club as assistant coach and David Kramer returns as goalkeeper coach. Assistant coach Steve Guppy comes to Colorado after serving as a player/assistant coach for the Rochester Rhinos during the 2008 season. Guppy holds over 15 years of professional experience in the highest levels of competitive soccer in Europe and North America.
A native of Winchester, England, Guppy's career includes stints with Southampton (1989), Wycombe Wanderers (1989-94, 2004-05), Newcastle United (1994), Port Vale (1994-97), Leicester City (1997-2000), and Celtic F.C. (2001-04). Guppy made his MLS debut with a five-game stint with D.C. United during the 2005 season. He then returned to the English leagues in 2006-07 with Stevenage Borough F.C. Recently, Guppy spent three months training with Aston Villa, as he prepared for the 2008 USL-1 season. A crowning moment in his storied playing career was when Guppy earned a national team cap, playing the entire match for England on October 10, 1999 in a 2-1 victory against Belgium.
Kramer first joined the Rapids' technical staff as goalkeeper coach in June 2008. Most recently, the USSF "A" license holder served as the director of coaching for the Colorado Edge Soccer Club. Throughout his eight-year MLS career with Los Angeles, San Jose, and Colorado, he posted a 1.76 goals against average with 15 shutouts in 106 matches with 98 starts. Kramer appeared in 42 games for the Rapids from 2000-2002, including eight playoff matches. His professional career began with the Monterey Bay Jaguars in 1995, when he helped his team to the USISL Western Division championship. Kramer also played with the Colorado Foxes of the A-League in 1997.
