Ramos returns to MLS as coach
In May, United States men’s U-20 coach Tabare “Tab” Ramos told MLS that he hoped someday to be the head coach of a franchise.
That day is now. Ramos will be the new coach of the Dynamo, a source with knowledge of the hire confirmed
Thursday.
Ramos, 53, was born in Uruguay and raised in New Jersey. He took over the U.S. men’s U-20 national team in 2011.
The former midfielder began representing the United States as a player on its U-20 team after earning American citizenship at 15. He was drafted by the New York Cosmos with the 10th pick of the North American Soccer League draft but opted to play at North Carolina State, where he was an All-ACC and All-American selection in his final three years.
Ramos became the first player to sign with Major League Soccer in 1995 and spent 13 years playing for clubs in the United States, Mexico and Spain.
A 2005 U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee, Ramos represented the country in three World Cups (1990, ’94 and ’98) and eventually became an assistant coach for the U.S. men’s national team in 2014.
Ramos will be the fourth full-time head coach in the Dynamo’s history. Dominic Kinnear led the club in its first nine seasons and won MLS championships in 2006 and 2007. Owen Coyle lasted a season and a half, and then Wilmer Cabrera was in charge for two and half seasons before being fired in August. Cabrera got the team to the MLS conference final in 2017 but did not make the playoffs again.
Ramos will replace interim coach Davy Arnaud.
The Dynamo dumped Cabrera after he led the team to its best start in club history. The club also advanced to the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League after winning the U.S. Open Cup in 2018.
But under Cabrera, the team won just two road games this season and only five from 2017-19. The continuation of that trend helped the Dynamo miss the playoffs for a second straight year.
Cabrera’s departure shocked players. With Arnaud in charge, the team’s results (3-5-1) were hardly better although players spoke highly of him.
Ramos will take the reins of a team known for its attacking prowess in recent years, but the future of its most dangerous playmakers is uncertain.
Star forwards Mauro Manotas and Alberth Elis have been linked to European clubs this past year. Forward Romell Quioto finished the year not practicing with the team.
The Dynamo finished the season 10th in the Western Conference.
Ramos has earned a reputation for developing young talent.
After missing the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup, the U.S. team has fared progressively better, with sixth-place finishes in 2017 and 2019. It won the CONCACAF U-20 championship in 2017 and 2018.