Ignition Names Bob Lilley Head Coach
November 6, 2007 - Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2)
Detroit Ignition News Release
The Detroit Ignition has named veteran United Soccer League coach Bob Lilley Head Coach, the club announced today. Mark Pulisic, who has been Head Coach of the team since its inception in 2006, has been promoted to Director of Soccer Operations. Pulisic will work closely with Lilley on all player and league-related issues. Per club policy, the financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
"Bob has a great soccer coaching mind, and he relates extremely well with his players. He recently won an outdoor Championship and has been a winner everywhere that he's coached," Pulisic said. "The Detroit Ignition, as an organization, is quite fortunate to have him as their Head Coach."
Lilley spent nine years as a head coach in the United Soccer League (A-League/First Division). He led his teams into the playoffs all nine years, reaching the finals twice and winning the USL Championship with the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2006. Lilley's overall record, including playoffs and U.S. Open Cup matches, stands at 163-88-40. Lilley's playing career spanned 12 years, including six years with the National Professional Soccer League's Harrisburg Heat (1991-97).
Pulisic and Lilley worked as a coaching team in the Ignition's 17-6 victory over the Philadelphia KiXX last weekend. Lilley remarked, "As a team it was a very good first outing, we showed that we can be explosive and defend well as a team. We felt like we got a collective effort out of all the players."
Both Lilley and Pulisic aim to focus on strengthening the Ignition's relationship with the metro-Detroit community. "I've been around the soccer business for the last 20 years, and teams often talk about making a mark in the community and giving back. I think our players are very good at that," Lilley said. "We can improve on the playing side but also in terms of an overall organization, and this organization is very committed to doing that."
The Detroit Ignition is a member club of the Major Indoor Soccer League, and begins the team's second season in November 2007 after advancing to the MISL Championship Finals during the 2006-07 season. Information regarding Ignition season, group, and individual tickets can be obtained by calling the club at 1-888-436-GOAL (4625), by visiting the team's official Internet property, www.detroitignition.com, by calling TicketMaster at 248-645-6666, or by using www.ticketmaster.com.
The Detroit Ignition is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Hantz Group. The Hantz Group is a full-service financial holding company with 24 locations in Michigan and Ohio serving over 20,000 clients with over $2.0 billion in assets under management. With over 500 employees the full service company provides financial planning, tax planning, investment products, and mortgages through its affiliates.
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Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from November 6, 2007
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- Ignition Names Bob Lilley Head Coach - Detroit Ignition
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