FC Dallas' most successful season in club history has earned yet another accolade for the team.
Head coach Oscar Pareja has been named 2016 MLS Coach of the Year, making him the second in club history to win the award. The Colombian also becomes the seventh former MLS player to pick up the honor. Pareja joins FCD defender Matt Hedges in picking up individual honors this season, as the captain was named MLS Defender of the Year.
Pareja led Dallas to a domestic double in 2016, winning the 2016 US Open Cup – which snapped FCD's 19-year major trophy drought – followed by the Supporters' Shield, the team's first regular-season championship. In the process, FC Dallas became the first team in MLS history to notch 60 points or more in a season for two consecutive years.
Perhaps most impressively, FC Dallas have found success in Pareja's three seasons in charge by integrating a significant number of Homegrown players into the first team. The first-team roster currently features nine Homegrown players, the most in MLS, and FCD finished second in 2016 in minutes played by Homegrowns with 4,897.
The MLS Coach of the Year Award was voted on by MLS club management, media and current MLS players. Below is a breakdown of the voting results:
Coach of the Year |
Player Vote % |
Media Vote % |
Club Vote % |
Average % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Oscar Pareja (DAL) |
36.42% |
37.96% |
28.95% |
34.44% |
Pablo Mastroeni (COL) |
27.81% |
34.26% |
36.84% |
32.97% |
Patrick Vieira (NYC) |
15.23% |
13.89% |
18.42% |
15.85% |
MLS Coach of the Year Winners:
2016: Oscar Pareja – FC Dallas
2015: Jesse Marsch – New York Red Bulls
2014: Ben Olsen – D.C. United
2013: Caleb Porter – Portland Timbers
2012: Frank Yallop – San Jose Earthquakes
2011: Bruce Arena – LA Galaxy
2010: Schellas Hyndman – FC Dallas
2009: Bruce Arena – Los Angeles Galaxy
2008: Sigi Schmid – Columbus Crew
2007: Preki – Chivas USA
2006: Bob Bradley – Chivas USA
2005: Dominic Kinnear – San Jose Earthquakes
2004: Greg Andrulis – Columbus Crew
2003: Dave Sarachan – Chicago Fire
2002: Steve Nicol – New England Revolution
2001: Frank Yallop – San Jose Earthquakes
2000: Bob Gansler – Kansas City Wizards
1999: Sigi Schmid – Los Angeles Galaxy
1998: Bob Bradley – Chicago Fire
1997: Bruce Arena – D.C. United
1996: Thomas Rongen – Tampa Bay Mutiny
