September 29, 2009 THE SHORT LIST Tilley, Rooney, Fisher are among candidates to coach FC New York
FC New York president Doug Peterson said the team would like to name a coach by the USL annual meeting in November. Photo courtesy of FC New York
By Michael Lewis
BigAppleSoccer.com Editor
FC New York, the USL expansion team that will begin play next spring, has narrowed down its coaching search to a handful of candidates. That includes three name that are familiar to the soccer community.
Three of the candidates are Dan Fisher, who coached the Long Island Rough Riders for three years, former Rough Riders midfielder Jim Rooney and Darren Tilley, who was fired as coach of the Rochester Rhinos Monday, according to United Soccer League sources.
The USL source said there was "a small but solid list of candidates."
A quick look at three of the candidates:
* Fisher directed the Rough Riders to a 12-2-2 regular-season finish, the first time since 2003 the club reached the post-season. The Riders were eliminated in the first round of the Premier Development League playoffs. One of the area's most respected coaches, Fisher directs the Nassau Community College men's team and was a finalist for PDL coach of the year.
* Rooney, a member of the Riders team that captured the 1995 U.S. Interregional Soccer League title, has been the IMG Academy Under-16 coach in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Rooney played for the MetroStars and captained the Miami Fusion in MLS.
* Tilley, who had been let go by Rochester after the Rhinos were eliminated from the quarterfinals of the United Soccer League First Division playoffs by the Puerto Rico Islanders Sunday, is interested in talking to FCNY, sources said. The club has expressed interest in Tilley as well, according to the sources. In his first coaching job after retiring as a player, Tilley guided the Rhinos to a 25-21-16 season the past two seasons. He was a key goal-scorer for Rochester's A-League and Lamar Hunt/U.S. Open Cup championship teams in 1998 and 1999, respectively.
FCNY president Doug Peterson would not comment on the specific candidates.
"We have eliminated some candidates," he said. "We have a handful that we are interested in."
Peterson said the team would like to name a coach by the USL annual meeting in November.
FC New York plans to play at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. next season with plans on building a stadium in New York City.
