With a distinct eye toward a 2017 MLS entrance, Minnesota United FC are poised to announce a shakeup in their front office.
Northern Pitch has learned that Manny Lagos, who has spent five years at the reins of Minnesota’s professional soccer team, will relinquish his role as head coach to take on the sporting director position full time. In his stead, Assistant Coach Carl Craig will become head coach of the Loons.
The move comes on the cusp of what will be a whirlwind month for the Loons. A decision on when Minnesota United is going to join MLS should come in December. The team will also begin making player announcements, including the results of negotiations with FC Edmonton winger Lance Laing and NASL Golden Boot winner Stefano Pinho of Fort Lauderdale Strikers. Sources confirm that Pinho is a done deal, while Laing is still mulling other options.
Manny Lagos was Director of Soccer for the Minnesota Thunder before taking on the head coach role for NSC Minnesota Stars. He stayed in this role through the change to Minnesota Stars FC and with Dr. Bill McGuire’s new regime of Minnesota United FC. In that time, he won the NASL championship once in 2011 and lost in the final in 2012. After missing out on the final in 2013 (that season had no playoffs, just a final), Lagos’s Loons lost in the semi-finals in the past two seasons.
The biggest surprise of this move has to be Carl Craig’s appointment as head coach. Craig has been a fixture of the locker room since Lagos became head coach and players will often talk about the important role he plays with the club. Alex Schieferdecker wrote a fantastic profile of Craig that appeared in The Complete Darkness 2014 and was excerpted on Howler’s website.
It remains unclear what Carl Craig’s role will be as the club searches for a long-term solution for their 2017 entrance into MLS. Craig will hope to use this season to bolster his candidacy for the position after 2016.
A brief look at Manny Lagos’ tenure as Minnesota head coach.
MN PLAYOFFS
2010
MN was 7th seed, and lost in Quarters (first round) to Carolina 4-0 on aggregate.
(lower seed won 5 of 7 series)
2011
No Open Cup
Playoff: As 6th seed, won fist KO game, and next two series (semi-final on PKs)
(Lower Seed won 1 of 2 KO, and 3 of 3 series)
2012
Playoff: As 6th seed, won fist KO game, and next series and lost final (on PKs)
(Lower Seed won 1 of 2 KO, and 1 of 3 series)
2013
Soccer Bowl included just the Spring and Fall season winners – thus no MN
2014
Playoff: As 1st seed, Lost first KO on penalties
(lower seed won 1 of 3 matchups)
2015
Playoff: As 3rd seed, Lost first KO in AET
(lower seed won 0 of 2 matchups)
MN US OPEN CUP
2010
Beat KC Athletics (Amateur), lost to AC St. Louis (D2-NASL) in 2nd Round.
2011
No Open Cup – Disqualified by USSF
2012
Beat Des Moines Menace (PDL) away, Beat Real Salt Lake (MLS) away, Lost at San Jose (MLS)
2013
Lost to at home to Des Moines Menace (PDL)
2014
Beat Des Moines Menace (PDL) away, Lost at Sporting Kansas City (MLS)
2015
Lost away to St. Louis FC (USL) in 3rd Round on PKs
Dave Laidig and Brian Quarstad contributed to this article.
NOTE: The original post referred to Lagos’s new position as “technical” director. This has been corrected to “sporting” director.
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