Omid Namazi Named MISL Coach of the Year
May 24, 2006 - Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2)
St. Louis Steamers News Release
St. Louis Steamers head coach Omid Namazi has been named 2005-06 Coach of the Year by the Major Indoor Soccer League. The league announced the honor Tuesday afternoon. In his first season at the helm of the Steamers, Namazi took a club that had posted a .500 record the previous season and guided it to a .767 winning percentage and the Regular Season Championship. In addition to their impressive overall record of 23-7, the Steamers posted an amazing 14-1 record at Savvis Center.
The award is the second consecutive MISL Coach of the Year honor for Namazi, who earned the 2004-05 annual award as coach of the Cleveland Force. Namazi led both the Force and the Steamers to the Championship Series Finals in two consecutive seasons. His coaching career began when he took the reigns of the Philadelphia Kixx in 1999. Namazi led Philadelphia to the postseason three consecutive times including the 2001-02 MISL Championship as player/coach. He also captured the 2001 MISL Defender of the Year honor. Namazi has coached in the league during at least a portion of each of the past eight seasons.
On March 27, Steamers president Michael Hetelson announced that Namazi's contract would be extended through next season. "Omid made excellent player moves and his system has brought an exciting and successful style of play to St Louis," Hetelson said.
Namazi received over 80 percent of the first-place votes and appeared on more than 97 percent of the ballots in the season's awards voting. The MISL's formal voting process polls members of the media, as well as MISL coaches and team personnel. First-place votes were worth five points, second-place votes worth three points and third place votes worth one point.
"This award is a credit to all of the players on the team," Namazi said. "There have not been a lot of seasons like the one we had, or teams that have been able to copy that success. Since I arrived here, it's been about the players."
The Steamers averaged 6.6 goals per game during the MISL regular season, while holding their opponents to 4.6 goals per outing. Both figures led the MISL. Namazi's players captured 19 Player of the Week awards and four Player of the Month honors. Five members of the Steamers were named to the All-MISL First and Second Teams on May 22. In addition to the announcement of Namazi's Coach of the Year award today, Steamers goalkeeper Brett Phillips was named MISL Goalkeeper of the Year.
"I came here and I put in a system," Namazi said. "You have to have players that believe in your system, and to do that I need players that believe in me. Players see the passion I put out there, the system I put out there, and they start believing. It is about believing and respect. We have a great team and a great group of guys in St. Louis."
Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from May 24, 2006
- Genoni Martinez Named MISL Defender of the Year - MISL 2
- Omid Namazi Named MISL Coach of the Year - St. Louis Steamers
- Brett Phillips Named MISL Goalkeeper of the Year - St. Louis Steamers
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