Trotting onto the pitch this year, Terrapin men’s soccer coach Sasho Cirovski will find himself accompanied by several new faces.
In less than a month following the 2009 season, Cirovski saw both of his assistant coaches leave to take jobs elsewhere.
Russell Payne, who spent six seasons under Cirovski’s tutelage, landed the head coaching job at Army in mid-December. Payne was Cirovski’s first blue-chip recruit for the Terps back in 1993 and went on to be a four-year starter in goal.
Just two days later, Cirovski’s other assistant coach, Rob Vartughian accepted the assistant coach/goalkeeper coordinator position with the Philadelphia Union of the MLS. Vartughian had spent the previous seven years with the Terps.
The pair of assistants helped lead the Terps to two ACC Championships, four College Cup appearances and two National Championships.
Following the departures, Cirovski went searching. He found Michael Dello-Russo and Brian Rowland. He also created another staff position called Director of Soccer Operations, hiring Matt Burke for the job.
“I got all three guys that I wanted,” Cirovski told Jonas Shaffer of the Diamondback. “They’re all ones I wanted and we didn’t have to go too deep into the search. They’re great. They’re terrific. They’re all relatively inexperienced in the coaching ranks, but I feel like it’s a perfect fit for the program myself because I can mold them into the Maryland way pretty quickly. They’ve already done a great job and the players love them.”
Here’s the description of each and what they will bring to the Terp in the 2010 season:
Michael Dello-Russo (Assistant coach, Maryland ‘01-’05) – Five years ago, the former-Terps’ midfielder helped guide the program to it’s first National Championship since 1968. He was a two-time captain for Cirovski during his time and ranks 11th all-time for career assists. Dello-Russo was drafted by FC Dallas and played three and a half years with the club, before jumping around to several other professional teams.
“His passion for Maryland soccer, along with his compassion for the growth and development of our student-athletes, will continue the tradition of our great assistant coaches during my tenure,” Cirovski said in a press release.
Brian Rowland (Assistant coach, UMBC ‘99-’03) – Rowland earned All-America honors in 2002 playing for a nationally-ranked UMBC squad. He finished as the single season and career record holder in shutouts. After his collegiate career, Rowland went on to play for the USL and the MISL. He also played for the Canadian U-2o team before UMBC.
“Though his priority will be working with our goalkeepers, he possesses a wide array of skills that will add great value to our program,” Cirovski said. “He is a student of the game and will rise quickly in the coaching ranks.”
Matt Burke (Director of soccer operations, Indiana ‘03-’07) – Burke served as Indiana’s team manger before moving on to become the U-17 national team coordinator in 2007. He arranged travel, lodging, and meals for the U-17 team.
“We have committed to fundraising for this position because we see great value in the multi-tasks and responsibilities that Matt will perform to help our program reach our lofty goals,” Cirovski said. “We have many initiatives that we have wanted to carry out and having another quality person added to our staff will allow us the opportunity to see them through and grow our program.”
Chris Eckard is the Diamondback’s men’s soccer beat reporter. He can be reached at ceckard@umdbk.com. Follow him on twitter @ceckard.