Manny Lagos Comfortable Back in Role of Director of Soccer Operations
Lagos says relationship with NSC is life long and extends beyond the last several years. He also reveals interest in coaching new NSC team.
When Manny Lagos’ playing days were behind him, he decided to once again get involved with the Minnesota Thunder, the team he started his pro career with. However, he would never have been able to predict the topsy-turvy course life laid out for the retired pro soccer player. Lagos came back to the organization in 2006 and worked primarily with camp marketing. Eventually he became director of soccer operations in 2007 and when the team was struggling to keep its head above water, he found new owners for the team and helped with the transition. Lagos was kept on by new Thunder owner Dean Johnson and WingField Corporation. That first year started out hopeful with lots of promises from WingField, but a bad economy and an organization that did too much too quickly and spread itself too thin eventually caused it to shut its door in late November of 2009 after being unable to pay its bills. The Thunder left outstanding amounts of money to the National Sports Center (NSC) in excess of 100 thousand dollars.
Manny Lagos sits on the bench at a Thunder game in 2007 when Amos Magee was head coach
One might think that Lagos’ relationship with the NSC may be a bit sour after his exit from the Thunder. Lagos says that only a short period of time held some negatives while the majority of his life has been filled with positives with the organization. In fact he says he is proud of the fact that when he was with the Thunder, he was able to help transition the stadium at the NSC to a real soccer specific stadium, “One of the best division II stadiums in the country,” according to Lagos.
“There’s been a long-standing history between the National Sports Center and myself,” said Lagos. “I go back to being a kid and playing up there at the first ever USA Cup. I think we lost in the final of the U-12 to a team from Palo Alto, California. There are some serious memories there. We won some USA Cups and some state tournaments up there. Personally, I participated in and won a gold medal in the Olympic Festival in 1990. So I have a lot of memories up there as an amateur but I also have lots of memories of the NSC as a professional as the Thunder grew while at the NSC. So I have a lifelong relationship with the folks up there.”
Lagos says his primary goal has always been to grow and preserve pro soccer in Minnesota. “I’m unbelievably proud of the last 19 years of the Thunder,” said Lagos. “The difficulty and disappointment of the situation that transpired the last two years with the Thunder, didn’t take away from the fact that I knew the best thing for the sport was for soccer to continue. So we can continue to develop high level players and high level coaches as well as a product for the fans that Minnesota can be proud of. I’m just really happy that the NSC has decided to step up and preserve pro soccer in Minnesota.”
“Extremely difficult and disappointing” is how Lagos explains the last several years with the Thunder. He says when things would get a bit overwhelming he would often talk to his father, Thunder founder and head coach until 2006, Buzz Lagos. “Keep the focus on what’s good for Minnesota soccer and what’s good for the game,” was the elder Lagos’ advice to his son. “That has really held true in the last several months,” said Manny Lagos, as he tried to figure a way to navigate through the transition to the NSC. Lagos says that while his father has given his blessings to the new soccer organization he was not involved in any negotiations to keep a pro soccer team in Minnesota.
“It certainly hasn’t been easy and I know I haven’t been able to grow my skill set the last year and half the way I’d hoped to,” said Lagos as he explained the personal disappointment of the last several years. “I’m just hoping that those years, the positives and the negatives, I will learn from and become better at whatever I do in my involvement with the game.”
Kris Bjerkness, Chief Administrative Officer of the NSC, says that they didn’t come to Lagos nor did Lagos come to them in this transition. He said it was instead more an evolution in the process of conversations when it was becoming apparent to the NSC that Minnesota may not have pro soccer in 2010. “Its pretty much as simple as the fact that we felt we needed to see if there was anything we could do to step up and try to help,” said Bjerkness.
“He’s got a lot of experience in this marketplace,” said Bjerkness, who has assumed the general manger role of this new NSC professional soccer team. “If we want to get something up and going quickly I don’t really know who else we’d turn to.”
Bjerkness tried to explain how Lagos would fit into the NSC staff and what his roles will be. “Right now we’re trying to put together the soccer side of the business as well as the business side, the media side, administration of a team — all the components,” stated Bjerkness. “Mannys’ role will be strictly on the soccer side of things although it could evolve over time. We have a very structured management system at the NSC. We are going to do things the NSC way and not the way of old (Thunder). I’m sure the culture is going to be very different.”
Lagos says he is very much enjoying the new culture and experienced management structure of the NSC. He said the organization’s non-profit status makes it much more transparent and he very much welcomes that openness and accountability that makes the NSC unique.
Lagos revealed to IMS that he has applied for the new coaching position with the NSC pro team and has had conversations with management in regard to the position. “Quite honestly, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” said Lagos. “I think with all my high-level experience I could be a very good coach.”
In other NSC news, Kris Bjerkness says the team is nearing having a budget complete and things will start to move forward more quickly after that. Some announcements could start coming as early as this week.
The National Sports Center also confirmed that they have hired Angie Blaker, former administrative assistant with the Minnesota Thunder, to perform the same job duties with the new NSC pro soccer team. Blaker’s first day was last Wednesday.
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I’m confused. Manny is the Director of Soccer Operations for the team. But, “Lagos revealed to IMS that he has applied for the new coaching position with the NSC pro team”. Wouldn’t you think that the Director of Soccer Operations be the person in charge of hiring the coach? So he’s applying to himself?
As the article states, Kris Bjerkness is GM and who Manny answers to. As director of soccer operations he would have a strong say but not necessarily the final say. Right now, the way things are set up, Bjerkness will be making the final decisions on those sort of things. I struggled with a word to use and perhaps applied was a poor one. I did say he has “had conversations with management in regard to the position.” which is correct.
BQ – what you wrote all makes sense to me. It just seems a little odd. While I understand that the GM would supervise the Director of Soccer Operations, why wouldn’t the “DSO” be the person to select and hire (and fire if it ever came to that) the coach? Sure, the GM would have to give final approval and sign off on it, but I would think the “DSO” would 99% be the one making the decision. Otherwise, what’s the point of having a DSO?
That being said, I’d prefer not to see Manny as coach right now. I’d rather see someone brought in with some actual experience in that area, rather than another example of someone learning on the job. Nothing against the last 2 coaches the Thunder had, but especially with a completely new franchise building from the ground up, I’d rather see someone who’s actually been a head coach before.
I agree with Leper. NSC needs fresh blood for a coach. They should be able to attract some decent talent.
They should consider looking no further than Carl Craig. His experience and expertise would be a huge step forward.
One should consider a brand new approach completely. Lagos is old baggage and needs to be retired. He is not the fresh approach needed by Minnesota.
Manny would be a great choice to coach. He has a sharp soccer mind when it comes to tactics and game management, and has a wealth of professional playing experience. He has worked under some very good coaches and knows what it takes to win professional championships. If he is given the freedom to coach and the support from the front office, he will be successful.
I’m a gambling man and willing to put a little wager on his success, if anyone out there is game.
I agree with MA. The old baggage argument does not really apply, when you have such a dramatic change. For all intents and purposes pro-soccer in MN experienced what we would call the proverbial ‘shake-up’. Let’s not forget that Manny really knows the soccer community in MN, and he has been very successful as a coach right here in MN. Rather than thinking of him as ‘old baggage’ one might consider him an ‘anchor’ in the tradition of MN soccer. In thinking of a fresh start, Manny might benefit from looking for a couple of fresh assistants to surround himself with. Just my thoughts.
If I’m not wrong, I remember that Chicago Fire’s DT, Fran Klopas, said the same thing about himself eventually looking at the coaching position at the Fire, even if he was in charge of scouting a new coach.
I think Manny is well suited for the coaching position. I’m not as confident as him in a management role though. Hopefully the new team will find success: on the field, in the stands and at the bank.
I actually think the experience Manny gained over the past few seasons will make him even better at any role he assumes in the organization. He’s learned in the “school of hard knocks” and believe it or not that experience will be a plus in the long run. He’s learned “what not to do” from previous owners.
Let’s hope NSC is smart and gives him the freedom to make the soccercentric decisions and doesn’t micro-manage what he tries to do.
I think Manny is an excellent choice for the director role or head coach. There’s nobody better in Minnesota and I don’t think out of state coaches are knocking down the door to coach a team managed by a non-profit entity.
I thinking Manny would be a fine choice, especially since his hiring will not effect my ability to have a beer in the North End. Go team!
*affect
I have mixed feelings on Manny as head coach. However, everytime I see him and I am wearing my Liverpool jersey–he always tells me how much he likes it. Let’s face it–he has good taste!
I think Manny is the right person for the coaching job at this time. He has the contacts at this level to attract top players to our team. He has trained and played for some of the better coaches during his career, and he understands our competition in this newly formed league.
Manny was a HS All-American, College All-American, 1992 Olympian, US National Team player, MLS All-Star, and 3 time MLS Cup winner. He has more experience working with high level coaches than anyone MN has ever produced (with the possible exception of Tony Sanneh). He has the tools to do well. The only possible knock is a lack of experience, but I really think he’ll do well and have the team playing the right way. I wish him the best of luck.
I liked the idea of Manny as coach but Soccer boy’s comment sealed the deal. Manny in Twenty-Ten!