Dave Sarachan
Encyclopedia
Dave Sarachan is a former U.S. soccer coach and player. He spent two seasons in the North American Soccer League
and four in Major Indoor Soccer League
before retiring in 1982. Since then, he has coached at the collegiate, professional and national team levels, most recently as the head coach of the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer
.
, graduating from Brighton High School in 1972.http://www.bhsalumni.net/servlet/famous.FamousAlumni He then played two years of college soccer
at Monroe Community College
where he was a junior college All American in 1973 and 1974. After the 1974 season, he transferred to Cornell University
, where he played two more years, and was named the team MVP as a senior.
of the North American Soccer League
(NASL) drafted Sarachan. He played two seasons, 1976 and 1977, with the Lancers.http://home.att.net/~nasl/rosters/lancers.htm
in 1978-79, and the Buffalo Stallions
from 1979-1981.
, and he was additionally the assistant coach at Cornell for one season in 1983.
for the first time, becoming his assistant coach at the University of Virginia
after Bob Bradley
departed to become head coach of Princeton University
.
hired Sarachan as his assistant with D.C. United
following Bob Bradley's departure from the team to become the head coach of the Chicago Fire. Although Arena would leave following the 1998 season to coach the United States national team
, Sarachan stayed on, assisting new head coach Thomas Rongen
.
-winning 1999 season, Sarachan left to become a full-time assistant to Arena with the national team, where he would be very instrumental to the team's scouting and preparation for the 2002 World Cup. Sarachan's intimate knowledge of soccer and his personal relationships with the men on the team was a major contribution to the team's historic run in Korea.
. Sarachan was chosen for the Fire position, and had a tremendous first season, leading the Fire to the MLS Supporters' Shield
with a 15-7-8 record, as well as a U.S. Open Cup victory, and an appearance in the MLS Cup
, where they lost to the San Jose Earthquakes
; for his performance as a rookie, Sarachan was named the MLS Coach of the Year
. Since being named only the second coach in Fire history on Nov. 4, 2002, Sarachan guided the squad to its third Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
crown in 2003 in addition to appearances in MLS Cup 2003 and the 2004 Open Cup Final.
Sarachan's second year was significantly harder, however, as star defender Carlos Bocanegra
left MLS for Fulham
before the season began, and he lost national teamer DaMarcus Beasley
to PSV Eindhoven in midseason; numerous other injuries plagued the team, and the Fire ended the season tied for the league's worst record, at 8-13-9. The Fire finished at 15-13-4 in 2005. In Sarachan's fourth season, the Chicago Fire took their fourth Lamar Hunt Open Cup. The Fire's appearance in MLS Cup 2003 led to an invite to the 2004 CONCACAF Champions Cup, during which Chicago registered a combined 2-2-0 record against San Juan Jabloteh of Trinidad & Tobago (quarterfinals) and Costa Rican powerhouse Deportivo Saprissa (semifinals).
On June 20, 2007, Sarachan was fired as head coach, by Fire GM John Guppy.http://www.soccertimes.com/wagman/2007/jun20.htm Sarachan finished with a 55-50-31 league record with the Fire and 75-57-33 across all competitions.
in 2008 along with current head coach Bruce Arena. The two of them led the Galaxy in the second half of the 2008 season when there was really no chance of the team making the playoffs. In 2009 the turnaround was made, Sarachan and Arena brought in 16 new players and the Galaxy cut their goals against deficit in almost half and was in first place for much of the season. They eventually led the Galaxy to MLS Cup 2009 where they eventually lost to Real Salt Lake
on penalty kicks.
Sarachan currently lives in Southern California with his wife, Cherie and two children, Ian and Alexa.
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
and four in Major Indoor Soccer League
Major Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
before retiring in 1982. Since then, he has coached at the collegiate, professional and national team levels, most recently as the head coach of the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
.
High school and college
Sarachan grew up in Rochester, New YorkRochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, graduating from Brighton High School in 1972.http://www.bhsalumni.net/servlet/famous.FamousAlumni He then played two years of college soccer
College soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
at Monroe Community College
Monroe Community College
Monroe Community College is a two-year college of the State University of New York, located in Monroe County, New York. The college has two campuses, one in the town of Brighton and another, the Damon City Campus, in the City of Rochester...
where he was a junior college All American in 1973 and 1974. After the 1974 season, he transferred to Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, where he played two more years, and was named the team MVP as a senior.
NASL
Following his graduation, the Rochester LancersRochester Lancers
The Rochester Lancers were a soccer team based in Rochester, New York that played in the American Soccer League from 1967 until 1969 and the North American Soccer League from 1970 to 1980 at Aquinas Stadium...
of the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
(NASL) drafted Sarachan. He played two seasons, 1976 and 1977, with the Lancers.http://home.att.net/~nasl/rosters/lancers.htm
MISL
After two seasons with the Lancers, Sarachan moved indoors, where he played for the Pittsburgh SpiritPittsburgh Spirit
Pittsburgh Spirit were an indoor soccer team based out of Pittsburgh and were one of the original six teams that played in the Major Indoor Soccer League...
in 1978-79, and the Buffalo Stallions
Buffalo Stallions
The Buffalo Stallions were a soccer team based out of Buffalo, New York that played in the Major Indoor Soccer League from 1979 to 1984. Their home arena was Buffalo Memorial Auditorium.-History:...
from 1979-1981.
Early coaching
While playing for the Lancers, Sarachan was an assistant coach at the nearby University of RochesterUniversity of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
, and he was additionally the assistant coach at Cornell for one season in 1983.
University of Virginia
After one season, Sarachan joined Bruce ArenaBruce Arena
Bruce Arena is a former coach of the United States men's national soccer team as well as a former professional soccer and lacrosse player...
for the first time, becoming his assistant coach at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
after Bob Bradley
Bob Bradley
Robert "Bob" Bradley is an American soccer coach and the current manager of the Egypt national football team, taking over in September 2011. He previously managed the United States men's national soccer team...
departed to become head coach of Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
.
Cornell
After five years at UVA, Sarachan was offered the head coaching job at his alma mater Cornell, which he accepted in 1988. He stayed at Cornell for ten years, compiling a record of 64 wins, 63 losses, and 16 ties, and leading the team to NCAA tournament appearances in 1995 and 1996.D.C. United
On December 17, 1997, Bruce ArenaBruce Arena
Bruce Arena is a former coach of the United States men's national soccer team as well as a former professional soccer and lacrosse player...
hired Sarachan as his assistant with D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
following Bob Bradley's departure from the team to become the head coach of the Chicago Fire. Although Arena would leave following the 1998 season to coach the United States national team
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
, Sarachan stayed on, assisting new head coach Thomas Rongen
Thomas Rongen
Thomas Rongen is a Dutch soccer coach, formerly the head coach of D.C. United, the Sporting Director of Major League Soccer club Chivas USA, and the coach of the American Samoa national association football team...
.
National team
However, following the MLS CupMLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
-winning 1999 season, Sarachan left to become a full-time assistant to Arena with the national team, where he would be very instrumental to the team's scouting and preparation for the 2002 World Cup. Sarachan's intimate knowledge of soccer and his personal relationships with the men on the team was a major contribution to the team's historic run in Korea.
Chicago Fire
Sarachan received his first professional head coaching opportunity soon after the United States' impressive World Cup run when, after the 2002 season Bob Bradley left Chicago for his hometown MetroStarsMetrostars
Metrostar may refer to:*New York Red Bulls, formerly called the "MetroStars", a soccer team from New York*Manila Metro Rail Transit System, popularly called "The Metrostar Express", a part of the metropolitan rail system in Manila...
. Sarachan was chosen for the Fire position, and had a tremendous first season, leading the Fire to the MLS Supporters' Shield
MLS Supporters' Shield
The Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system...
with a 15-7-8 record, as well as a U.S. Open Cup victory, and an appearance in the MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
, where they lost to the San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
; for his performance as a rookie, Sarachan was named the MLS Coach of the Year
MLS Coach of the Year Award
The MLS Coach of the Year Award is an award given by Major League Soccer to the best coach in any given season. The award has been given since the league's inception in 1996.-Winners:...
. Since being named only the second coach in Fire history on Nov. 4, 2002, Sarachan guided the squad to its third Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League...
crown in 2003 in addition to appearances in MLS Cup 2003 and the 2004 Open Cup Final.
Sarachan's second year was significantly harder, however, as star defender Carlos Bocanegra
Carlos Bocanegra
Carlos Manuel Bocanegra is an American soccer player who plays for Scottish Premier League club Rangers and is the captain of the United States national team.-Chicago Fire:...
left MLS for Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
before the season began, and he lost national teamer DaMarcus Beasley
DaMarcus Beasley
DaMarcus Lamont Beasley is an American soccer player who plays for Puebla of the Mexican Primera División. He plays mainly as a winger on the left side of the midfield, but has also been used as a forward and fullback...
to PSV Eindhoven in midseason; numerous other injuries plagued the team, and the Fire ended the season tied for the league's worst record, at 8-13-9. The Fire finished at 15-13-4 in 2005. In Sarachan's fourth season, the Chicago Fire took their fourth Lamar Hunt Open Cup. The Fire's appearance in MLS Cup 2003 led to an invite to the 2004 CONCACAF Champions Cup, during which Chicago registered a combined 2-2-0 record against San Juan Jabloteh of Trinidad & Tobago (quarterfinals) and Costa Rican powerhouse Deportivo Saprissa (semifinals).
On June 20, 2007, Sarachan was fired as head coach, by Fire GM John Guppy.http://www.soccertimes.com/wagman/2007/jun20.htm Sarachan finished with a 55-50-31 league record with the Fire and 75-57-33 across all competitions.
Los Angeles Galaxy
Sarachan was hired by the Los Angeles GalaxyLos Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
in 2008 along with current head coach Bruce Arena. The two of them led the Galaxy in the second half of the 2008 season when there was really no chance of the team making the playoffs. In 2009 the turnaround was made, Sarachan and Arena brought in 16 new players and the Galaxy cut their goals against deficit in almost half and was in first place for much of the season. They eventually led the Galaxy to MLS Cup 2009 where they eventually lost to Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
on penalty kicks.
Sarachan currently lives in Southern California with his wife, Cherie and two children, Ian and Alexa.