Whitecaps Announce Coaching Staff For MLS Debut In 2011

The Vancouver Whitecaps, making the transition from the USL First Division to the USSF Division 2 Pro League and, now, to Major League Soccer for the 2011 season, announced the members of head coach Teitur Thordarson's staff for their debut season there.

Former Chicago Fire head coach Denis Hamlett was added to the staff Saturday, pending him gaining a permit to work in Canada. Hamlett had been serving as head coach of the men's team at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago this past fall.

Hamlett led the Fire to back-to-back MLS Eastern Conference Championship games in 2008 and 2009, and the final of the 2009 SuperLiga.

He took over the head coaching job in Chicago after serving as assistant coach from the team's debut in 1998 to 2007 and watched them win the MLS Cup and Lamar Hunt US Open Cup championships in 1998, then was part of three more LHUSOC title runs in 2000, 2003 and 2006.

Born in Costa Rica, the Chicago native played defender at George Mason University, then played professionally for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in the outdoor American Professional Soccer League in 1992, as well as the Harrisburg Heat (Major Indoor Soccer League) and Anaheim Splash (Continental Indoor Soccer League) before being named the 12th overall pick in the inaugural MLS College Draft in 1996 by the Colorado Rapids.

The Whitecaps also announced they have retained the services of assistant coach Colin Miller and goalkeeper coach Mike Salmon.

With Miller on the staff in his first season in 2010, Vancouver gave up a USSF D-2-low 22 goals and set a single-season team record of 18 shutouts. The Whitecaps finished second in the NASL Conference last season and reached the semifinals of their playoffs.

After a playing career that took him to Canada, England and Scotland, the Law, Scotland native earned coaching positions in Canada and the United Kingdom, including the head coaching job with the Victoria Highlanders of the USL Premier Development League.

Salmon will be in his fourth season with Vancouver in 2011 after previously serving in a similar capacity with England's Arsenal and at England's Gillingham FC.

A professional goalkeeper in England, he was instrumental in Vancouver in developing the career of goalkeeper Jay Nolly, a two-time team Most Valuable Player (2009, 2010) and the USSF D-2's Goalkeeper of the Year in 2010.