Vancouver Whitecaps FC have appointed Martin Rennie as head coach following the completion of the 2011 season. Per club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.
Currently the head coach of Carolina RailHawks of the North American Soccer League (NASL), the 36-year-old will take over the head coaching duties of Whitecaps FC from the start of the 2012 MLS season. Acting head coach Tom Soehn will re-focus on his role as Whitecaps FC director of soccer operations following the completion of the 2011 campaign.
"We are thrilled to have Martin joining our club," said Whitecaps FC chief executive officer Paul Barber. "Martin is widely recognized as one of the top young coaches in North America, and has already experienced tremendous success in his coaching career. Martin possesses all the qualities we look for in a head coach and shares our club philosophy. We believe that our technical team, with Bob Lenarduzzi as president, Tommy Soehn as director of soccer operations, and Martin Rennie as head coach, will provide us with the experience and resources to be a successful club on and off the pitch."
In his third season as RailHawks head coach, the native of Thurso, Scotland, has helped Carolina become the first club to clinch a berth for the 2011 NASL playoffs, with nine matches remaining in their regular season schedule. The North Carolina-based outfit currently lead the NASL with a 14W-3L-2D record. Rennie's RailHawks lead the NASL in almost every statistical category, having outscored their opponents 40 to 16 and posting six shutouts. Last season, Rennie guided the RailHawks to the NASL Conference title and a runners-up finish in the United States Soccer Federation Division-2 Professional League (USSF D-2) finals. Following the 2010 campaign, Rennie was named a 'Coach of the Year' finalist for the fourth consecutive season.
"I am delighted to have accepted this new opportunity with Vancouver Whitecaps FC," said Rennie. "Vancouver has a rich soccer history, fantastic supporters, and is moving to a new state-of-the-art stadium in the fall. It is a great time to be joining this dynamic and growing organization, and I look forward to working closely with Paul Barber, Bobby Lenarduzzi, Tommy Soehn, and everyone at the club next season. I am also very thankful to the Carolina RailHawks organization and look forward to guiding them to a great finish to the 2011 NASL season."
