Morrow Fired
May 20th, 2008 . 10:42 am . By: Buzz Carrick
Quite frankly I’m shocked for three reasons. 1. I still don’t buy into the Morrow lost the locker room stuff. None of the usual signs were there; no players bitching to me, no hanging heads at training, no players tuning out of the coach when he’s talking. No one will be able to convince me Morrow lost this locker room. 2. Alvial being canned last week. A big part of why he was let go was not getting with the party line from Morrow and his other staff. Why would they can the head coach the week after they can the assistant coach for not working with the head coach? 3. It’s very contrary HSG standard operating procedure. HSG tends to let contracts expire, they rarely fire someone mid season, particularly early season. Hitch and Morrow being in the last year of their deals usually would get the season to prove they should get a new deal. Which leads me to believe something happened since the LA game. We know Dan Hunt was in attendance at the game. We also know that as usual for every game Morrow met with Hitch and Hunt after the game. So between now and then something must have happened. Either Morrow objected to something they asked him to do, or perhaps the post game meeting went poorly, or maybe the Hunts just couldn’t stomach another blowout loss? Maybe Hitch knows his job is on the line and told Hunt he couldn’t sell tickets when the biggest crowd of the year sees that display. Is there a chance a technical director has been hired and he wants a new coach ASAP? Could it be that someone they wanted to hire previously has had a change of heart and wants the job? Schellas Hyndman perhaps? Enough speculating, we’ll learn more soon. Here’s the press release. Based on Hitches quote I’m betting on the Hitch can’t sell tickets theory above… MORROW RELIEVED OF COACHING DUTIESFC Dallas General Manager Michael Hitchcock announced today that Steve Morrow has been relieved of his duties as head coach, effective immediately. Marco Ferruzzi, in his fourth season as an assistant coach, will coach the team on an interim basis. Ferruzzi will make his debut against Real Salt Lake on Saturday, May 24 at Pizza Hut Park (7:30 p.m. CT). “We have set high standards, expectations, and goals for this team and organization,” said Hitchcock. “I feel that the team was not heading in the direction we had planned, and believe it is in the best interest of the club to make a coaching change at this time.” FC Dallas is currently in fourth place in the Western Conference with a record of 2-3-3 (9 points). The team is riding a four game winless streak, and is 1-2-1 at Pizza Hut Park this year. “This is obviously a difficult decision for me to make, since it was my choice to give Steve this opportunity,” added Hitchcock. “Having said that, Pizza Hut Park is an incredible venue, and our great fans deserve much more from our team for their continued support. We appreciate Steve’s contribution to our organization and wish him success in his future endeavors.” Morrow was introduced as the club’s fourth head coach on December 11, 2006. In his first season as head coach, FC Dallas posted a 13-12-5 record (44 points) and finished in third place in the Western Conference. The team advanced to the 2007 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championship game for the third time in team history, falling 3-2 to the New England Revolution at Pizza Hut Park. FC Dallas advanced to the MLS Cup Playoffs for a league-record tying 10th time in history, though was eliminated in the Conference Semifinals by eventual MLS Cup Champions Houston Dynamo. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my six year association with this organization and was proud to be Head Coach of FC Dallas,” said Steve Morrow. “I feel I leave the team in a very strong position with a wonderful group of players that are capable of achieving great things. Due to a recent run of poor results, I fully accept responsibility, and, if the team needs to go in a different direction then I wish the players nothing but great success for the remainder of the season and beyond. I’d like to thank my staff, the players, the Hunt family and all the fans for their support.” A Northern Ireland native, Morrow played the final two years of his professional career with Dallas. During the 2002 and 2003 seasons, he scored three goals in 41 career regular season games and once in three playoff matches, playing primarily as a center back. He was hired as one of the team’s assistant coaches on Feb. 3, 2004, and was the first assistant coach during the 2005 and 2006 seasons. 24 Comments Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI Leave a comment |
That happened fast. Now take your time, hire a technical director first and let him hire a coach.
I’m counting on you for the details, Buzz!
THANKS BUZZ FOR THE UPDATE!
Can’t believe they pulled the trigger that fast myself .. .. FCD didn’t play horribly early on – they probably should have led early if not for the miracle Cronin foot save early on .. ..
You’re right – something must have happened!!
[...] [Edit: Buzz agrees with me] [...]
I wouldn’t be surprised if there were problems in the locker room. Doesn’t mean Morrow “lost” the locker room. “Lost” means the squad was all against him. But I think “split” locker room might be an accurate term.
FCD wins on Saturday because of this. You heard it here first.
[...] defer to Buzz Carrick at 3rd Degree for more [...]
Finally he was fired. Couldnt take it anymore, dont like his line-ups nor the way the team plays.
I heard he did lose control of the group and also on their way back last week after the game. Dario and Oduro exchanged some punchs in the bus. And it was not the 1st fight in between players this year.
Also Schellas Hyndman was offered to be the director starting next year, but he really cant be our coach. He cant take a really good SMU team to the finals imagine the FC dallas.
Agreed with Buzz…stunned at first.
But also agree w/ Hitch…no one can sell tickets in the Dallas market with performances like that sad showing Sun to an overflow house.
But please don’t hire a college coach who also can’t win the big win.
something did happen that cause his release…5-1 vs. galaxy, 4-game winnless streak, lcontinually being outplayed by other teams week-in and week-out, lack of consistency, lack of production, and most importantly…lack of wins. this is nothing personal against steve, but we all knew it was coming. i bet more fcd fans will be more curious to see the game this weekend.
do you have info on marco…like where he coached before and what his formation was, what he’s known for?
i agree with buzz!
we need 2 go over 2 eurpoe 4 a new coach!
This is crazy! Yes, Morrow needed to adjust his tactics, but one of the biggest problems has been the league’s and front office’s inability to keep or sign a threatening striker during the off-season. With the transfer window about to open, a little adjustment to defend the flanks better and a good attacking signing would likely have helped immensely.
In this formation, the wingbacks are one of the most important positions on the field, and we’re down to the 3rd string on the left. That showed. Gullit did his homework. Our wingbacks man-marked their wingers, and their overlapping outside backs had free reign.
This reeks of Hitchcock trying to save his job at the end of the year by being able to say he did something. Looks like they fired the wrong boss, to me.
Yes, results were bad, but are we going to start over every time we get blown out? This is MLS. It happens sometimes. I hope getting embarrassed on Sunday turns out to not be the only reason…if that’s the case they should fire Hitchcock for the credit card machines not working in the concession stands, and for allowing that clown from Radio Disney to use a microphone at halftime.
I’m shocked and upset. They’ll have a hard time signing someone during the transfer window if it looks like the organization is in upheaval. I hope a technical director is signed by the end of the week, and they start an interview process for the next coach immediately, aiming to have someone by the end of June. That would give them 6 weeks to sign someone during the window.
Phil, what’s your source? If you’re going to start crazy rumors, start ones that we’d expect to actually be true… Oduro vs. Sala? That’s pretty hard to believe, if it’s true. What’s next, Rhine vs. Dax?
I wouldn’t pay to watch Rhine vs. Dax — but Rocha vs. Serioux? That’d be a brawl. “Welcome, baby, welcome…”
I have to agree with Jamie. Please tell me there’s more to it than a reflex decision after a bad game. But I’m afraid that might be it. Go read Andrea Canales running blog of the press conference at Sideline Views. Hitch’s comments are disturbing.
Morrow might not have been the right guy, but the timing makes it seem like a very rash and unconsidered decision.
Sounds like none of the players are getting along. Bobby Rhine and Rocha also got into a fist fight after the last game in front of everyone.
I am sad to see Morrow go, I have always been a fan of his, but I think it is a move that had to be made.
link about the fight and morrow losing the locker room. I don’t believe either one bit.
Jamie has a very good point. I have heard more complaints about the concessions than about the team. Hitch must go. Sorry but salesmen never make good managers. And Hitch is one hell of a salesman.
Sala vs. Oduro?? That’d be the shortest fight in the history of fights!
If I’m Oduro against Sala in a fight, then I’d just go stand in the goal mouth and tell him I’m a crossed ball. He wouldn’t be able to touch me.
^
best line o’the day!
*btw- some douche on the fcd blog is pretending to be tater. there is only one real tater.
Sala is a horrible goalie and should join Morrow. Bad coaching and poor player aquistions have plagued FC Dallas far too long. Too many individualists and no team chemistry. Its time for the program to stop with its hit or miss “star” players, and get back to bread and butter futbol. keep it simple and re-build a solid midfield.