FC Dallas announced on Friday that head coach Schellas Hyndman, who led the club to its only MLS Cup appearance in franchise history in 2010, will step down at the end of the season.
Hyndman amassed a 62-57-58 record in his five seasons as head coach after taking over midway through the 2008 season, and was named the MLS Coach of the Year in 2010, the only coach in franchise history to win the award.
“I truly appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the FC Dallas family for the last five years,” Hyndman said in a statement. “After a lot of thought and consideration, I feel the time is right for me to step down as head coach of FC Dallas. I want to thank the Hunt family for their support and friendship, our players, coaches and front office for their dedication and effort during my time here, and especially the great FC Dallas fans.”
FC Dallas (10-11-11) were eliminated from postseason contention last weekend, the second consecutive season they missed the playoffs after back-to-back appearances in 2010-11. They lost to the Colorado Rapids 2-1 in the 2010 MLS Cup in Toronto.
“My family and I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for Schellas both as a coach and as a person, and we sincerely appreciate his contributions to the club over the last five-and-a-half seasons,” FC Dallas chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. “Having had the pleasure of knowing him for the last 30 years, I have seen first-hand his commitment to his craft and the passion he has for the game. We wish him well in the next chapter of his life, and he will be missed.”
The search for the next head coach of FC Dallas will begin immediately, Hunt said, and is expected to include a broad list of candidates.
Hyndman’s home finale as head coach will be this Saturday when FCD face Seattle at Toyota Stadium (2:30 pm ET, NBC). Hyndman and FCD close out the 2013 season on the road against the San Jose Earthquakes on Oct. 26.
Before joining FC Dallas, Hyndman spent 31 seasons as a college head coach, including 24 at nearby Southern Methodist University. Hyndman ranks fifth all-time in victories among Division I coaches, posting an all-time college record of 466-122-49, which includes a record of 368-98-38 at SMU and 98-24-11 at Eastern Illinois University, where he was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame.
