The Colorado Rapids are leaving "no stone unturned" when it comes to finding their next head coach.
Rapids sporting director Padraig Smith (pictured above) discussed the team's quest to hire a new manager on a local radio show on Wednesday, revealing the extensive process used to uncover the next boss.
"Well what I can tell you is we're very close," Smith told The Vic Lombardi Show. "We're in the final stages, and I think that's what we're very, very excited about right now.
"I think if we take this back, we spoke at the very outset that we were going to conduct the most comprehensive search that this club ever has done, to try to identify not just the right coach but the right person for this club, to bring us forward. There's no doubt we've left no stone unturned here."
Smith, who has spoken in the past about the desire to change the Rapids' playing style, from a hard-nosed defensive approach that was predominant under former head coach Pablo Mastroeni, to one where attacking soccer is more apparent, and he reiterated that commitment in the interview.
He also explained that the Rapids drew upon the analytics power under the Kroenke Sports & Entertainment banner to evaluate head coach candidates, as well as hiring a firm in the United Kingdom to help identify candidates who would fit.
"The very first factor was ensuring we identified a coach who shared the same philosophy and vision we do at the highest level. I think that was an absolute non-negotiable for us. There's a lot of good talent, there's good talent here in the US, both at the MLS level and in the college ranks, and we interviewed a number of guys and saw what that talent was. But we wanted to be true to our commitment to make it a true global search, so we went out, we went to Europe, we saw South America, [Oceania]. We really conducted a very thorough search to ensure that we got the right guy."
Smith confirmed that interim head coach Steve Cooke, who led the team after Mastroeni was dismissed on August 15, will not be retained as the permanent head coach, but that the Englishman will continue as a member of the club's staff.
"We're incredibly thankful to Steve and what he's done here, not just over the last 12 games as the interim head coach, but everything that he's done since he arrived at the club," Smith said. "He's a top professional, and the way that he's conducted himself in the last few months has been of the highest quality. It's not just what you see, it's interactions with the staff, how he treats people, his rapport with the players. It's all been truly terrific."
You can listen to more of Smith's interview on The Vic Lombardi Show over at the Rapids' website.
