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Seattle Sounders FC

Sounders FC Hires Craig Dalrymple as Head of Professional Player Development

April 16, 2024 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Seattle Sounders FC News Release


RENTON, WASH. - Seattle Sounders FC today announced that it has hired Craig Dalrymple as Head of Professional Player Development. Dalrymple brings more than 25 years of soccer coaching and player development experience, most recently as Inter Miami CF Academy Director since 2021 following a decade with Vancouver Whitecaps FC, where he briefly served as Interim Head Coach at the MLS level in 2018. In his role with Sounders FC, he oversees the professional development of players with an emphasis on strengthening the pathway of the club's highest-potential athletes, both on and off the field.

"I'd like to officially congratulate Craig and welcome him to the organization," said Sounders FC General Manager & President of Soccer Craig Waibel. "We're pleased to add someone with his experience and pedigree to our staff, and I look forward to working with him to further increase and enhance our player development process."

Dalrymple, 50, began his career in MLS as Whitecaps FC Academy Technical Director in 2010, holding many roles across 10 years with the club as a vital part in the development system. In addition to his time as Academy Technical Director, the Vancouver, B.C. native served as the Head Coach for Whitecaps FC's U-23 squad and Player Development & Recruitment Director from 2018-2020. Following the dismissal of Carl Robinson, Dalrymple was named Interim Head Coach for Whitecaps FC's First Team for the final five matches of the 2018 MLS season, going 2-2-1 and narrowly missing the postseason by just two points. Dalrymple then moved on to become Inter Miami's Academy Director from 2021-2023, overseeing over 150 players from the U-12 to U-19 levels before being hired by Sounders FC. In his time with Miami and Vancouver, he helped elevate 25 Homegrown Players to the MLS level.

"I am thrilled to take on the role of Head of Professional Player Development with Sounders FC," said Dalrymple. "The club has a successful history of recruiting, developing and transitioning young talent into the professional game, and the implementation of this new role will further enhance our collective ability to meet the objectives and vision put in place by ownership and senior management."

Dalrymple broke into the coaching and development ranks as Technical Director of Canadian club Surrey United, where he concluded his playing career in 1999. He coached the U-12, U-14, U-16 and U-18 levels from 1999-2005, serving in his role as Technical Director until 2009. Following his time with Surrey, Dalrymple moved on to England's Portsmouth FC, where he coached in the Academy for a year before transitioning to MLS.

"We are ecstatic to have brought Craig into our developmental environment. His proven ability to turn theory into practice will help us to evolve our process and challenge our approach in all aspects of our developmental ecosystem," said Sounders FC Technical Director Henry Brauner. "We are excited to have his level of experience within our club and his inclusion will only serve to help us in developing the next generation of homegrown talent."

He began his playing career in the youth ranks of English side Ipswich Town in 1986 before collegiate stints at Capilano University and Simon Fraser University. The midfielder also played for the Vancouver 86ers for four seasons before ending his professional career with Surrey United. Dalrymple returns to the Pacific Northwest with his wife Jenifer and their daughters Georgia, Kennedy and Grace. He holds CSA A, USSF A, Elite Formation Coaching, UEFA A and UEFA Pro coaching licenses.

"I am very excited to work with Craig. He brings not only a wealth of experience in different MLS environments, but also an ability to see solutions to problems and articulate his understanding clearly and persuasively," said Sounders FC Director of Player Development Wade Webber. "He has a tremendous work ethic and will have an influence across departments. Sounders FC has a good record of progressing players from our Academy and Defiance into the First Team and, with Craig on board, we can develop an even more robust program to maximize the development of our youngest talents."

Following a scoreless draw with FC Dallas over the weekend, Sounders FC (1-3-3, 6 points) hosts Vancouver Whitecaps FC (4-2-1, 13 points) on Saturday, April 20 on the Emerald Queen Casino Pitch at Lumen Field (7:30 p.m. PT / Apple TV, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM). Tacoma Defiance (3-2-0, 9 points) hosts Whitecaps FC 2 (1-1-2, 6 points) on Sunday, April 21 at Starfire Stadium (8:00 p.m. PT / MLSNEXTPro.com).

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