CARY, N.C. – After three immensely successful seasons with the Carolina RailHawks, head coach Martin Rennie will move on to Major League Soccer.
Rennie was unveiled as the new head coach of Major League Soccer’s Vancouver Whitecaps FC in a press conference in Vancouver on Tuesday. Rennie will remain with the RailHawks through the end of the 2011 NASL season before moving on to Vancouver.
“It’s an exciting opportunity to coach in Major League Soccer,” said RailHawks Head Coach Martin Rennie. “It is difficult to leave after three great years in Carolina. I have had the opportunity to work with excellent people and enjoyed my time becoming part of the community. Great strides have been made and there is a strong foundation in place for the next coach to come in and be successful.”
With the RailHawks, Rennie has 52 wins, 26 ties and 22 losses in all competitions since taking over the team in 2009. His RailHawks teams have been marked by prolific offenses and air-tight defenses. The RailHawks have scored 127 goals in 79 matches under Rennie, while posting 31 shutouts and a cumulative 0.85 goals against average. This season, the team’s 40 goals scored are tied for the most in all of U.S. professional soccer. Last year, their 44 goals were tied for the third most in the nation.
The RailHawks are in the midst of their best season under Rennie. They’ve compiled a 14-2-3 record and lead the NASL by 12 points with nine games remaining in the regular season. They have already qualified for the playoffs. After falling in their season opener, the RailHawks went unbeaten over their next 13 matches (12-0-1), which also included a 10-match winning streak.
“On behalf of the entire RailHawks organization and our owners, Traffic Sports, I want to congratulate Martin,” said RailHawks President Curt Johnson. “This is a well deserved opportunity. Vancouver is getting a talented, driven coach and someone who will represent their organization with a high level of professionalism. The RailHawks organization is in a unique position as we move toward the end of the regular season and the playoffs. I know Martin and our players are very focused on performing at their best in this big moment. When the time comes after our season we will celebrate with Martin and wish him well.”
In 2009, his first season with Carolina, Rennie guided the RailHawks to a 16-7-7 regular-season record, a runner-up finish in the USL First Division and a berth in the USL-1 quarterfinals. In just one season under Rennie, the RailHawks established new team records for wins, points, shutouts, goals scored, goals allowed and longest winning streak, among more than three dozen others.
In 2010, Rennie guided the RailHawks to the NASL Conference championship during the regular season. And after winning their first-ever playoff series in the quarterfinals, the RailHawks went on to the championship finals.
Prior to joining the RailHawks, Rennie coached the USL-2's Cleveland City Stars in 2007-08. In two seasons, he compiled a 23-5-16 record and won the 2008 USL Second Division championship. He was twice named the USL-2 coach of the year.
Rennie began his coaching career in 2005 with the Cascade Surge of the USL’s Premier Development League. The Surge placed sixth (12-2-2, 38 points) in the 54-team PDL. They won their division and the league's Fair Play award and qualified for the U.S. Open Cup for the only time in the club’s history.
Rennie and the RailHawks resume their season on Saturday, when they travel to Puerto Rico to meet the Islanders at 7:30 p.m. Rennie will be available to discuss his new appointment after training on Thursday at 12p.m.
CARY, N.C. – After three immensely successful seasons with the Carolina RailHawks, head coach Martin Rennie will move on to Major League Soccer.
Rennie was unveiled as the new head coach of Major League Soccer’s Vancouver Whitecaps FC in a press conference in Vancouver on Tuesday. Rennie will remain with the RailHawks through the end of the 2011 NASL season before moving on to Vancouver.
“It’s an exciting opportunity to coach in Major League Soccer,” said RailHawks Head Coach Martin Rennie. “It is difficult to leave after three great years in Carolina. I have had the opportunity to work with excellent people and enjoyed my time becoming part of the community. Great strides have been made and there is a strong foundation in place for the next coach to come in and be successful.”
With the RailHawks, Rennie has 52 wins, 26 ties and 22 losses in all competitions since taking over the team in 2009. His RailHawks teams have been marked by prolific offenses and air-tight defenses. The RailHawks have scored 127 goals in 79 matches under Rennie, while posting 31 shutouts and a cumulative 0.85 goals against average. This season, the team’s 40 goals scored are tied for the most in all of U.S. professional soccer. Last year, their 44 goals were tied for the third most in the nation.
The RailHawks are in the midst of their best season under Rennie. They’ve compiled a 14-2-3 record and lead the NASL by 12 points with nine games remaining in the regular season. They have already qualified for the playoffs. After falling in their season opener, the RailHawks went unbeaten over their next 13 matches (12-0-1), which also included a 10-match winning streak.
“On behalf of the entire RailHawks organization and our owners, Traffic Sports, I want to congratulate Martin,” said RailHawks President Curt Johnson. “This is a well deserved opportunity. Vancouver is getting a talented, driven coach and someone who will represent their organization with a high level of professionalism. The RailHawks organization is in a unique position as we move toward the end of the regular season and the playoffs. I know Martin and our players are very focused on performing at their best in this big moment. When the time comes after our season we will celebrate with Martin and wish him well.”
In 2009, his first season with Carolina, Rennie guided the RailHawks to a 16-7-7 regular-season record, a runner-up finish in the USL First Division and a berth in the USL-1 quarterfinals. In just one season under Rennie, the RailHawks established new team records for wins, points, shutouts, goals scored, goals allowed and longest winning streak, among more than three dozen others.
In 2010, Rennie guided the RailHawks to the NASL Conference championship during the regular season. And after winning their first-ever playoff series in the quarterfinals, the RailHawks went on to the championship finals.
Prior to joining the RailHawks, Rennie coached the USL-2’s Cleveland City Stars in 2007-08. In two seasons, he compiled a 23-5-16 record and won the 2008 USL Second Division championship. He was twice named the USL-2 coach of the year.
Rennie began his coaching career in 2005 with the Cascade Surge of the USL’s Premier Development League. The Surge placed sixth (12-2-2, 38 points) in the 54-team PDL. They won their division and the league’s Fair Play award and qualified for the U.S. Open Cup for the only time in the club’s history.
Rennie and the RailHawks resume their season on Saturday, when they travel to Puerto Rico to meet the Islanders at 7:30 p.m. Rennie will be available to discuss his new appointment after training on Thursday at 12p.m.
