Barrett officially gets promotion to interim coach
Wade Barrett is finally where he believes he belongs – head coach of the Houston Dynamo.
The Dynamo on Tuesday officially announced Barrett as their interim coach for the remainder of the 2016 season. Barrett had been the acting interim coach for the last two games after the departure of Owen Coyle.
The team gained positive results in both road games under Barrett. Now he has a chance to show what he can do for the remaining 20 matches.
Except for one day after training, Barrett remained mum about his intentions and desire to be the next Dynamo coach. Instead, he chose to concentrate on preparing the team for each match.
When the original Dynamo captain did speak about the potential job, he said he hoped to get it.
“I have been in every MLS Cup that we won. I have been in every MLS Cup that we lost,” Barrett said. “I know what it takes to get there. I know what it feels like to be where we are now and to want to get a little bit better. I have some real ideas about how to get there.”
Mr. Orange
Barrett has been with the Dynamo for every significant moment in their 10-year history.
He was captain of the San Jose Earthquakes when they won the 2005 Supporter’s Shield prior to moving to Houston. Barrett assisted on the first goal in Dynamo history. He played in every league game and playoff game except for one during the club’s 2006 and 2007 MLS Cup title runs.
He wore the captain’s armband for 138 of his 140 Dynamo appearances.
Barrett retired from playing in 2010 and immediately stepped into coaching on Dominic Kinnear’s staff. When Kinnear left for San Jose after the 2014 season, Barrett remained in Houston to be an assistant under Coyle.
Pick of the players
Three days after Coyle left the club, Barrett led the team to a 1-1 draw in Vancouver. In the days following that result, the players praised Barrett’s approach. He had overwhelming support from the players, with defender DaMarcus Beasley saying, “Wade is our coach. We’re not thinking about who else is coming in.”
Veteran midfielder Ricardo Clark played with Barrett from 2006 to 2009. He said last week that the Dynamo would do well by promoting Barrett.
“Wade knows the club,” Clark said. “He’s been here for a while. He understands what it takes in this league. If you look at the list of coaches who have been successful (in MLS), they have all been around the league for a while.”
The Dynamo return to action on June 15 with a U.S. Open Cup game against San Antonio FC. Their next MLS match is at home June 18 against D.C. United.