June 17th, 2008 . 3:16 pm .
By: Buzz Carrick
The Hyndman press conference went off without a hitch today. Ok wait, that’s not right as Hitchcock was there. Lots of media and all the players in attendance to introduce the media to the new head man. The only hiccup was the torrential rain that came through in the middle of the Q&A. I’ll have some thoughts on Hyndman in another piece, but for now here’s the quotes, pictures, and the FCD press release.
Hitchcock Opening Statement
The search started four weeks ago when we made the decision to relieve Steve Morrow of his head coaching duties here at FC Dallas. I was absolutely amazed by the amount of interest that we received from perspective candidates all over the country and all over the world. We took a massive list of interested candidates and narrowed that down to around 50 that we considered. From that 50, we narrowed it down to a short list and out of that short list, we found the right man to lead FC Dallas forward and that’s Schellas Hyndman.
It was an extensive process. It always takes a little bit longer than you want it to take, especially when you’re in season and have to follow certain protocols and get permission from management teams to speak with people who are currently under contract to other organizations and teams. We wanted to do this right and feel confident that we have done it right. We’re excited to be standing here today and announcing Schellas as the head coach of FC Dallas.
Why Schellas? It’s pretty simple really. We feel that he’s the right type of leader for this team to help us reach our potential. He’s a passionate leader and a strong leader. A trademark of the teams that he has coached is that they’re disciplined, they’re hard-working, fight for one another and are difficult to play against. That’s a direct reflection on the type of leader Schellas is. That’s the type of leader we need here at FC Dallas.
We have a great collection of talented players and when we’re fighting for one another as we saw on Sunday against a very good Chicago team, we’re as good or better than any team in the league. It’s important to have that type of leader to lead this team and we feel like we have that in Schellas. He’s very systematic in his approach to the game, which is a trait of very successful coaches in soccer.
He will be the third head coach that will make the direct step from a major Division I program to being a head coach right away. The other two are Bruce Arena and Sigi Schmid, not bad men to follow. In Schellas, he’s got the respect of every player who has ever played for him and we know our players will have a great working relationship with him. We’re confident that Schellas will be able to take this team forward and help us reach our potential.
Schellas Hyndman Opening Statement
Wow, am I excited. This is a really special day for me and my family. I’m excited for many reasons. Years ago, when they started MLS, I wanted the opportunity to coach at the highest level. I’ve had some opportunities but the timing really wasn’t right. When this opportunity came around, my family and I talked about it and came to the decision that this was the best time in my life for me to be a part of such a great organization. I’ve been a great fan for all this years and don’t think I have ever missed a game either on TV or in person. This team is outstanding with the talent that they have and they play the type of soccer that I believe in, which is more of a possession style and quality control style.
We all go through life in a comfort zone. I’ve been at SMU for 24 years and it’s been a very comfortable position. I could be there for the next 10 years. We all strive to do something special and I think this is that opportunity to do something special. My goals are very simple, to continue to find success for FC Dallas, to compete for an MLS championship and to make Dallas very proud of the team we put on the field.
Questions and Answers
Hyndman on Hunt relationship leading to this job:
I think people speculate that because of my relationship with Clark, Dan and Lamar that would be a huge influence on me as a coach. I have so much confidence in the Hunt family that I am willing to take this responsibility in this program. There is a risk involved any time you take a professional job with the people you’re going to work for.
Hyndman on bring in a DP or other players in the next window:
I think right now there are three roster spots open, so we’ll be looking for players to fill those spots. I think this is a very good team. There are outstanding players on this team who are capable of continuing to find success like they did on Sunday in ungodly temperatures. I think Marco and Drew have done a great job of putting this team on track to success. You have to give the coaching staff the opportunity to evaluate the players in training and to evaluate the players to see if they can do the type of things that we’re going to ask them to do for our system of play for their job description. A Designated Player would be a player who would add something special to this team. We have no idea who that may be or if that may be someone. Right now, we will be evaluating players first.
Hyndman on talking to Bruce and Schmid, other successful coached to go direct from college to MLS:
Not recently but I have talked to them in the past when opportunities were there for me. I have also talked to Steve Sampson, who also is a good friend who came up from a college program and Dave Sarachan, who I worked with for many years. One of the things I feel so fortunate about is that I have Marco and Drew here who know the players and the lay of the land. Having John Ellinger come on board for us will be tremendous. Not only is he a good friend but he has also coached recently at Real (Salt Lake). I think there will be a learning curve but I feel very comfortable about it.
Hyndman on the difference between coaching college kids and professionals:
I think I am very fortunate that I have coached at a high level, had a lot of success and had a lot of players go on to MLS. I think I have always known what the level might be at this stage. It’s all about players. What we have in this room are professionals. At the collegiate level, one of the biggest responsibilities of a college coach was teaching players how to balance their responsibilities with school, social life and training. Here, they should have an idea of how to do that on their own. I want the same thing that the players want, personal success for them and personal success for the team. I think the players will know if a person can coach or can’t coach. There are no pretenders here. I think coaches will know if players can play or can’t play immediately. The greatest adjustment is going to be understanding the league, rules, salary cap and those types of things. The area that I feel most comfortable with is the coaching.
Hitchcock on a technical director:
Right now, we’re not hiring a technical director but that’s something that we’ll continue to evaluate and something that I think we’ll consider in the future. More and more teams are heading in that direction, hiring someone that can provide more resources and bring in a different perspective.
Hyndman on how involved he will be in training sessions:
I think I’m more of a hands-on person. I think it’s important that coaches run the training sessions so that they can develop relationships with their players. Some coaches like to sit back like a manager and watch training sessions but my strength is more being on the field. I think I have to have complete respect for my staff that they’re also very involved in the sessions.
Hyndman on how difficult this decision was to make:
It’s really tough. There is a ping pong match that has been going on in my head for the past week. My family and I went to the Euros for a chance to relax and to think clearly. It was very difficult. It was difficult leaving a team that I loved very much. It was a great group of players and I had a great recruiting class coming in. When you work somewhere for 24 years, you develop relationships that are more family-like. My family and I decided that this was the best thing at this time. It’s the right time. I will never know what type of coach I will be if I didn’t take this chance. I don’t want to be on my deathbed one day and have a regret.
Hyndman on criticism he never won a NCAA title:
I think everyone has their opinion. If you look at our record and the success that we have had at SMU and Eastern Illinois, it hurts me not to have won a national championship. We had a team that could have won but sometimes you lose games that you shouldn’t lost. I don’t think there is another program out there that has been to the NCAA Tournament in 30 out of 31 years. Hopefully a national championship comes here.
Hyndman on how he feels to be staying in Dallas:
It feels fantastic. There have been opportunities to go other places but I love Dallas and my family love Dallas. The fact that I can stay here in a city that I love and try to win a championship for a professional team is everything I could dream of.
Hyndman on the FCD partnerships with CAP and Tigres:
I think it’s fantastic to have those types of relationships. I have made three visits to CAP as NSCAA Soccer Academy Staff when I was invited to teach players there. We have players here from CAP, which is a world-class program. I do believe that we need to look at making other relationships with other places and send some of our young players there as well.
Pictures
and the FCD press release…
SCHELLAS HYNDMAN INTRODUCED AS FC DALLAS HEAD COACH
FC Dallas General Manager Michael Hitchcock today introduced Schellas Hyndman as the fifth head coach in team history at a press conference held at Pizza Hut Park. Schellas Hyndman (pronounced SHELL-us HIGHND-mun) joins FC Dallas after 31 seasons as a college head coach, the past 24 as the head coach of nearby Southern Methodist University (SMU). The 58-year-old will assume the leadership of the team effective immediately, with his first game at the helm this Saturday, June 21 when FC Dallas visits the New York Red Bulls at Giants Stadium.
“We feel that Schellas is the right type of leader for this team to help us reach our potential,” said Hitchcock. “He is a passionate leader, a strong leader. A trademark of the teams Schellas has coached is that they are disciplined, hard-working, they fight for one another, and they are difficult to play against. And I think that’s a direct reflection of the type of leader Schellas is. And that’s the type of leader that we need here at FC Dallas.”
Hyndman ranks fourth all-time in victories among Division 1 coaches, posting an all-time college record of 466-122-49, which includes a record of 368-98-38 at SMU and 98-24-11 at Eastern Illinois University. In 31 years as coach, he has led his schools to 30 NCAA playoff appearances, 11 quarterfinals and three Division 1 final fours.
“This is a very special day for me and my family,” said Hyndman. “I want to thank the Hunt Sports Group, John Wagner, and especially Michael Hitchcock to have faith in me to give me this opportunity to coach FC Dallas. All of us that are competitors, we all strive to do something special, and I think this is the opportunity to do something special. My goals are very simple: to continue to find success for FC Dallas, to compete for an MLS championship, and to make Dallas very proud of the team that we put on the field.”
Born in Macau (China) to a Portuguese father and Russian mother, Hyndman lived in China until the age of eight, when his family moved Springfield, Ohio. He attended and played football at Butler High School, while playing club soccer with the Dayton Edelweiss Soccer Club.
Hyndman received a soccer scholarship to attend Eastern Illinois University, where he was part of the 1969 NAIA national championship team, and also earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1973. For the next two years, he was a graduate student and soccer coach at Murray State University, obtaining a master’s degree in physical education and recreation in 1975.
After playing one season with the Cincinnati Comets of the American Soccer League in 1975, Hyndman moved to Sao Paulo, Brazil, where he was an apprentice at Escola Graduada de Sao Paulo and trained regularly with Sao Paulo FC.
He returned to Eastern Illinois and earned a degree in guidance and counseling in 1977. That same year, he started his soccer coaching career by becoming his school’s head coach. From 1977-1983, the Panthers soccer program posted a record of 98-24-11 under Hyndman, reaching the NCAA Division II finals in 1979 and the Division I finals in it’s first year in 1981, which earned Hyndman the National Coach of the Year honor.
Hyndman took over the SMU soccer program in 1984, and has become one of the top college coaches over the past 24 years. He led SMU to 11 quarterfinal appearances in the past 20 years, and earned eight league Coach of the Year honors (WAC: 1997, 1998, 1999; MVC: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004; Conference USA: 2006).
Twenty one players that played for Hyndman at SMU have been drafted by MLS clubs since 1996, including seven first round selections. Fourteen of these players have appeared in a combined 714 regular season games since 1996. SMU ranks 7th among schools whose players have appeared in MLS games.
On October 20, 2007, Hyndman was enshrined into the Texans Credit Union Walk of Fame at Pizza Hut Park, along with Kenny Cooper Sr., an honor given to those who have made significant contributions to the sport of soccer in Texas.
Hyndman, who also holds a 10th degree black belt in karate, is married to Kami and the couple have three children, Tony, Jaime and Tamara.
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Hmmm, 31 seasons as coach,
30 playoffs
11 quarterfinals,
3 final fours
0 championships
seems to fit FC Dallas to a T
Well, I have been waiting for this day! This is the best thing that could of happened for SMU, and possibly the worst for FCD. There are many things the public should know about this. Schellas has continually failed at SMU, and I am being generous saying it that nicely. He has repeated recruited the wrong players, put the wrong players on the field, and has rarely treated his players with the respect they deserve. It absolutely amazes me that he held the job at SMU for that long. Looking at his stats, this may look like a good fit but DO NOT let that fool you. A good record in college soccer means nothing. In this case, SMU was the only Division 1 school in texas. How hard could it be to recruit good players, and
put together a decent team. A little bird told me his tenure at SMU was finally coming to an end anyway (unhappy players meetings, and an over-paid underachieving coach finally got Orsini to say enough is enough). I do not blame Schellas for taking the job (if you are getting fired you might as well try something else), but it does surprise me that he is taking it. It will not take the players more than a practice to figure out he’s clueless. Hopefully, and I pray (because I am a big FCD fan, and personally friends with many of the players), that the players will not be afraid of him, because that is the only feasible reason I can think of that he was at SMU for so long. Everyone, players, coaches, and administration was afraid of his blackbelt. The only thing I fear now if FCD’s immediate future. Let hope the FCD’s owners figure it out quickly and this doesn’t last more than the rest of this season, otherwise they will regret it for years to come.
“A Designated Player would be a player who would add something special to this team. We have no idea who that may be or if that may be someone. Right now, we will be evaluating players first.”
Translation – I am really not familiar enough with the pro-game to know who would be available, and besides, the Hunts told me they weren’t looking to spend anymore money this season.
Skeeter- I see you answered Nate and Uh-oh’ s advertisement.
I’m not really down on the guy. He may be a great coach and I wish him all the best. I am down on effort put into this roster however, and this just strikes me as the start of the excuses about why nothing is going to happen in the window to improve the team.
I can see it now “We’ll, we just hired a new coach and he had to have time to evaluate the roster to determine what moves needed to be made. We will be working hard in the off season to improve the team”
I just don’t thing Arsene Wenger could win with this team as presently constructed.
Who buys Uh-oh’s implication that the SMU administration kept paying Hyndman for 24 years because they were afraid of getting beaten up?
Already sounds tired and burned out…
This may be my last year as a season ticket holder. We have truely reached the epitome of nonsense.
First class stadium run as a select soccer youth tournament …poor parking traffic patterns, concessions manned by volunteers the the Staley Jr. High band (no offense to the drum line), and now an underachieving, non-playing, soccer dad to run the show on the pitch.
You’ve got to be kidding.
Regardless of the rhetoric, good or bad, I’ll give him an opportunity to show us the futbol imaginaton, but I am also not inclinded to renew my season tickets………
I didnt say he wouldnt do a good job. I just said his track record seems like a perfect fit
We should all come to terms with the fact that regardless of how dismal of a job SH does, he will never be fired. We’re stuck with him for as long as the Hunts own FCD.
Everyone who claims to be “in the know” keeps saying the same thing, but Hyndman did indeed get the job, so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.
When everything is said and done this is just another job, and anyone who has been in the workforce (and these kids on the field don’t have a lot of experience) for more than a few years knows that you go through this several times in your life – a guy that you don’t want leading you ends up being your leader. You might be right that he couldn’t find his ass with a map, but in the end if you don’t suck it up, put your head down and work then the only one you will hurt is yourself. Good luck, coach.
Uh Oh loses all credibility when he claims that the only reason Schellas kept his job as SMU was because people were afraid of his black belt. Thats the most ridiculous assertation I’ve heard in a while.
I don’t know if Schellas will work out or not. I’m willing to give him the chance. Personally, I’m just happy we broke the cycle of hiring the assistant of the guy they just fired. That was idiotic and it got us nowhwere.
The idea that Schellas is the “coach for life” because of his relationship with the Hunts is almost as ridiculous as Uh Oh’s black belt theory. Coaches and owners frequently have good relationships, but it doesnt stop them from making sound decisions. Look at Cuban and Nelly for a good example.
FC Dallas fans, don’t misunderstand the recent moves here. This is all about Hitchcock keeping his job. These events are completely predictable and are used over and over again. GM hires coach, promises to build team. Team does mediocre at best. Heads must role. GM fires coach goes thru extensive search to find new coach. New coach comes in, claims he needs time to evaluate, train, re-sign and recruit new players. The GM has bought himself at least 1.5 more seasons – maybe even longer. Repear the fire/hire process as needed.
I thought FC Dallas was on the edge of becoming another Houston/Rev type franchise – always in the playoffs. Now, I don’t know. There is still talent on this team, until they run it off.
Ccart5 – the problem with your theory is that the Hunts hired Hyndman, not Hitch. This was their choice, not his specifically.
Hitch is out at the end of this season. What is interesting will be to see what person will want the GM gig without the ability to bring in his own coaching staff…
Right…like Alexi Lalas decided on Gullit on his own.
An awful look of hooey and smoking gun theorists. The team hired a solid and experienced soccer coach. I wouldn’t expect everyone to agree, but I think it is a good hire. The only measure and the only thing of any real importance is how we look on the pitch and what kind of results we get. I am expecting positive improvements on both counts based on both our coaching staff and player personnel.
For those of you who blame everything including Texas weather and locust invasions on Hitch…get a grip. I remember a near empty stadium when FCD moved to Frisco (I mean EMPTY), and things have gotten better, and I suspect will continue to improve.
Let’s all be positive and supportive, or we will need to stop calling ourselves fans.
You are right, it is not fair to blame Texas weather and locust invasions on Hitch …