MLS New York Red Bulls

MetroStars To Make Head Coaching Change

Published on October 8, 2002 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
New York Red Bulls News Release


SECAUCUS, NJ (October 8, 2002) - MetroStars President/General Manager Nick Sakiewicz announced today that Octavio Zambrano has been relieved of his duties as head coach, effective immediately.

Zambrano will continue in his role as the team's Managing Director of Player Development, and will also serve the team in a variety of consulting roles in areas of scouting and youth development.

A search for the new head coach of the MetroStars will begin immediately. In the interim, assistant coaches Des McAleenan and Merlin Villagomez will oversee the team's off-season training sessions.

"This was an extremely, extremely difficult decision to make," said Sakiewicz. "Octavio is a class guy and a tremendous soccer mind who has helped bring our team unprecedented success on the field. However, our failure to make the playoffs this season, for a variety of reasons, necessitates some major changes.

"We will continue to rely on Octavio for a lot of important insight into scouting and training issues, and we look forward to his continuing role in making our Player Development program the best in the country."

In his three seasons as head coach of the MetroStars, Zambrano guided the team to a record of 41-37-8 (.523), the most wins by a head coach in the team's history. Under Zambrano, the MetroStars captured their first MLS Eastern Division title in 2000, and he led the team into the first round of the playoffs in 2001 before the team failed to qualify for the postseason in 2002 with an 11-15-2 mark.

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