Anthony Hudson to Colorado the Latest Move in Active MLS Coaching Carousel
The Colorado Rapids have hired Anthony Hudson as their new coach, the latest move in a busy coaching carousel for a league that hasn't yet reached the offseason.
Hudson comes to the Rapids after three seasons coaching New Zealand's national team. This month, the All Whites went to a 2018 World Cup qualification playoff against Peru but fell 2-0 on aggregate. The 36-year-old Hudson, who is from Seattle, was 9-11-7 as the national team coach and has limited experience on the club level. He was coach of Bahrain prior to New Zealand.
Colorado finished 9-19-6 this season, second-to-last in the Western Conference.
Hudson says he's ''impressed by the club's culture, front office and vision for the future. I believe we share a philosophy, and now it's just a matter of going out and getting the results that both this club and community deserve.''
The Rapids dismissed coach Pablo Mastroeni in August and assistant Steve Cooke served as interim coach.
Hudson is fourth recent coaching hire in MLS, following the Montreal Impact's Remi Garde, New England Revolution's Brad Friedel and San Jose Earthquakes' Mikael Stahre.
The biggest opening of them all has yet to be filled, with Caleb Porter surprisingly leaving the Portland Timbers despite a first-place Western Conference finish in the regular season. The injury-riddled Timbers, who won the 2015 MLS Cup, were ousted by the Houston Dynamo in the conference semifinals.
The playoffs resume Wednesday, with the second leg of the Eastern Conference final between Toronto FC and the Columbus Crew, which sits at 0-0 after the opening leg. The Seattle Sounders return home leading the Dynamo 2-0 in the Western Conference final after the first leg in Houston.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
