VANCOUVER, BC – Martin Rennie's days as head coach of Vancouver Whitecaps FC have come to an end.
On Tuesday, club president Bob Lenarduzzi announced the Whitecaps did not renew the 38-year-old Scottish tactician's contract, after his two years at the helm of the club.
Rennie's side posted a winning record of 13-12-9 during MLS competition this season, but failed to qualify for the MLS Cup playoffs or win the Canadian Championship. Lenarduzzi stated that those were the key goals the club had outlined before the season – objectives that weren't ultimately fulfilled.
“Our decision is based on the fact that we didn't have success with the key benchmarks we were looking to accomplish,” Lenarduzzi told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday at BC Place. “That's ultimately the reason. That and the inconsistency."
The team's nosedive over the final stretch for the second consecutive season also played into the move.
“If we look back over the two years we had two relatively good starts and in each of those seasons, we seemed to tail off,” added Lenarduzzi. “In the first year, we were able to survive that and make the playoffs, and in the second year we weren't able to do so.
“The ups and downs, the inconsistency ... are something that we need to address, and as a result of that, we'll be starting our search for a new coach.”
Lenarduzzi confirmed that former San Jose Earthquakes coach Frank Yallop is a candidate for the role, but said the club has not made contact with anyone as of yet.
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Lenarduzzi also explained that decision to let Rennie go and find a new coach was made by a committee consisting of himself, chief operating officer Rachel Lewis, director of professional teams Greg Anderson and owners Greg Kerfoot and Jeff Mallett.
“Any strategic decisions that are made go through that particular committee,” Lenarduzzi said. “It's a coordinated approach we're taking to those decisions.”
Beyond Rennie, support members of the coaching staff must wait until a new coach is named before learning their futures.
Martin MacMahon covers Vancouver Whitecaps FC for MLSsoccer.com.
