Tom Soehn has stepped down from his role as coach of MLS club DC United.

Soehn’s contract expires at the end of this year and he decided to remove his name from consideration for the position going forward.

DC president Kevin Payne praised Soehn for the job he had done at the club under extreme duress.

“Tommy has done an outstanding job at D.C. United, first as an assistant and then as our head coach,” said Payne.

“Over the past three seasons, Tommy has faced greater challenges than any other Major League Soccer coach. His record in all competitions this season was outstanding and he should not be judged on the basis of missing the MLS Cup Playoffs.

“Tommy is a fine young coach and I know we will face him in the future in MLS play. I wish him all of the luck in the world.”

Soehn, who served the Black-and-Red as an assistant from 2004-2006, before leading the club to two major trophies, a Supporters’ Shield in 2007 and a U.S. Open Cup in 2008, in three seasons as head coach, said the decision to step down was a very hard one.

“My family and I have spent a lot of time in reaching this very difficult decision,” said Soehn.

“I've been fortunate to spend the last six seasons with this organization. I'd like to thank the staff and fans for their support throughout my tenure.”

“In particular, I'd like to thank Kevin Payne, Dave Kasper, Chad Ashton, Mark Simpson, Francisco Tobar, Brian Goodstein, David Brauzer and the entire technical staff. When you're in this business, the experiences you face together forge special bonds and friendships that will always remain. My appreciation also extends to the players. We accomplished a lot together since I arrived in 2004 and I thank them for their dedication and wish them the best in the seasons ahead.”