Paul Dalglish Appointed Head Coach Of Miami FC

Miami Football Club has hired Paul Dalglish as its new head coach, the club announced Thursday. Dalglish becomes the second head coach in club history.

 

“Paul brings an extraordinary pedigree and knowledge of the game to Miami FC,” said Sean Flynn, CEO, The Miami FC. “His playing and coaching experience from Europe and North America at multiple levels will have an immediate impact on our club. Paul shares the vision of what we want to accomplish as a club and I’m excited for the brand of football we will see on the pitch this season.”  

 

The son of legendary Scotland international, Celtic and Liverpool forward Kenny Dalglish, Paul enjoyed a successful playing career through the ranks of the Premier League and the Scottish Premiership before heading to the MLS in 2006. He won MLS Cup twice with the Houston Dynamo in both of his seasons with the club, in 2006 and 2007.

 

After working in the Houston Dynamo Academy in 2009, Dalglish began his coaching career as manager of FC Tampa Bay in 2010. From 2012 to 2013, he managed the Austin Aztex of the PDL. Under Dalglish's tutelage, the Aztex reached the Conference Finals in 2012 and won the league championship in 2013, a year in which Dalglish was named the PDL Coach of the Year. Dalglish became an assistant coach with Real Salt Lake in 2014, before returning to lead the Aztex in early 2015. In November of that year, Dalglish was named head coach and GM of Ottawa Fury FC. After two seasons with Ottawa, Dalglish has joined Miami FC and looks to continue the team's success from last season.

 

Miami FC enjoyed a record-breaking season in 2017, reaching the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals, winning both the NASL Fall and Spring Season Championships and finishing as the NASL's overall points leader. The club’s historic season eventually ended in The Championship Semifinal with a loss in penalty kicks to the New York Cosmos. Following the season, the club’s first and only head coach, Alessandro Nesta and the Miami FC agreed to part ways.

 

“I am delighted to join the Miami FC family,” Dalglish said. “It is an organization I have admired from afar and to now to be working within in it is an honor. The time spent with Riccardo Silva and Sean Flynn has left me convinced that this is the perfect team for me to continue my coaching journey with and I am confident I can continue to build on the wonderful job that Alessandro, his staff and the players have done so far.”