Minnesota United FC will hire former Orlando City SC manager Adrian Heath as their first MLS head coach, according to Goal.com’s Ives Galarcep.
Galarcep reported on Wednesday night that Minnesota waited until the NASL season ended this weekend in order to interview New York Cosmos head coach Giovanni Savarese before deciding to hire Heath. Savarese led the Cosmos to their third NASL title in four years on Sunday.
Heath served as head coach of the Orlando City franchisee from 2008 until this July, staying with the club during their move from Austin to Orlando in 2011 and guiding them through their transition from USL to MLS in 2015. He compiled a 16-18-16 MLS record in his one and a half seasons in charge of the Lions.
The 55-year-old Englishman will oversee a similar process in Minnesota, who are moving from NASL to MLS for their expansion season of 2017. Rumors of his potential hire have been flying for several days, with Empire of Soccer reporting on Monday that he had emerged as a front runner for the position and anonymous Twitter account MLS Transfers also reporting the news shortly before Galarcep. Savarese was also named as a contender earlier this week by Minnesota soccer site FiftyFive.One.
Minnesota have yet to formally announce any coaching hire, but did reveal on Wednesday that they’ve brought on former D.C. United assistant coach Amos Magee as the club’s first director of player personnel.
