Tampa Bay Rowdies fire Head Coach Thomas Rongen after just 18 games!
After just 18 games in the NASL soccer season, Tampa Bay Rowdies have sacked head coach Thomas Rongen. The press release sent to local media this morning is as follows:
The Rowdies announced today they have parted ways with President and General Manager, Farrukh Quraishi and Head Coach Thomas Rongen. The changes come after a terribly disappointing start to the Fall Season, with a record of two wins, one draw and five losses, the most recent loss to the then last-place ranked Indy Eleven.
Rowdies principal owner Bill Edwards said “I wish both Farrukh and Thomas well, but it was clear the team was not performing at the level they should be and could be. My goal from day one has been to win the NASL Soccer Bowl Championship. That has not changed.
As many in the community know, I am a fixer. I take broken things and do my best to turn them around. That was the case with Baywalk/Sundial, Mahaffey Theater and the Club at Treasure Island, among others. This is no different. When I identify a problem, I move swiftly and decisively to correct it. And I stand by my decisions. With the Rowdies, I felt it was important to make these changes now, while we still have time to improve our record for the fall season and secure a spot in the playoffs.
It is important to note that I do believe we have great players, certainly capable of winning the championship. I will work with them and the remaining coaching staff to ensure they have what they need to succeed. Decisions like these are never easy, but I hope this move shows both the players and the fans that my commitment to creating a world-class professional soccer experience remains undaunted.”
No other coaching or roster announcements are being made at this moment.
Rongen took over as Head Coach in December 2014 after the departure of Ricky Hill and he guided the club to second place in the Spring Season standings. The club played ten games, winning five, drawing four and losing one game in the April to June split season format.
Since then, things haven’t gone so well for the Rowdies as they currently sit in 10th position in the Fall season campaign having lost five of their eight games since the resumption of play in July. The club has managed just two wins and one draw.
The combined standings has seen the Rowdies drop down to 4th place on 26 points trailing overall leaders New York Cosmos by 6 points.
