Ten years. That's how long it had been since Curt Onalfo set his original career goal of becoming a head coach in Major League Soccer.
Nattily attired in a dark suit, blue shirt and blue tie, Onalfo got the big payoff for his decade of diligence on Monday. From the deep recesses of Arrowhead Stadium, he addressed the media as the new head coach of the Kansas City Wizards and Onalfo's enthusiasm over reaching that career goal came bursting through.
"This is something I've been focused on for a long time," Onalfo said. "I've taken the last 10 years to really take those steps to become a successful coach."
After a tumultuous year in which Bob Gansler and Brian Bliss each had the reins of a Wizards team which ultimately fell short of the MLS Cup Playoffs in the last regular-season game, the club's new hierarchy is counting on Onalfo to help bring Kansas City back into MLS prominence.
After a detailed search for a new head coach, the Wizards came away convinced that Onalfo, 37, was their guy. He was an assistant coach for the U.S. national men's team the last four years and had an 11-year career as a coach and player in the U.S. and abroad.
Though saying he was probably most influenced by Bruce Arena among the coaches he has been around, Onalfo made it clear he'll have his own distinct ideas on how to lift the Wizards when the 2007 season rolls around.
"As a young coach and player, you develop your own philosophy and your own way of doing things," Onalfo said. "I have my own style and you're going to see that in the team we put on the field. It's going to start on Day One."
As a player, Onalfo reached the MLS Cup Final with the Los Angeles Galaxy in 1996 and was with a D.C. United team that took the MLS Cup in 1999. He previously starred as a collegiate player at Virginia and was co-captain of the 1992 Olympic team in Barcelona.
"This is a job I wanted," Onalfo said. "There are other jobs available, but this group of players here I feel very strongly about. We have a core group of veteran players that know how to win championships. We have young players we can mix in and teach them the way."
That said, Onalfo acknowledged there are missing elements. He'll work closely with new technical director Peter Vermes to bring in the right additions to the roster.
"Peter and I have our work cut out and so does the staff that I'm going to put together," Onalfo said. "But we're going to build a championship organization from the beginning.
"Everybody who gets brought to this organization, whether it's a staff member or a player, we're going to bring champions. And if they're not champions, we're going to teach them how to be champions."
Onalfo will emphasize an attacking style of soccer that he envisions being well-received by the fans.
"We're going to be a team that's aggressive and sends numbers forward," Onalfo said. "We're going to be a team that this community is excited about."
Onalfo said he'll strive to be open and honest with his players.
"Sometimes, the truth hurts," Onalfo said. "But I think that's what they expect. The players want that approach and respect that approach. Everybody within the organization will understand what their role is."
Though he didn't want to get specific about personnel at this early juncture, Onalfo said a goalkeeper and a player with creative qualities in the midfield would be on the shopping list.
Onalfo has no trepidation about coaching a team that is in search of a permanent home facility in the Kansas City area. He's confident the new ownership group will give the team all the advantages it needs to have success.
"I believe they are extremely committed to make sure we're going to have the best possible environment for our players for the next couple of years before we are into a stadium that's there to stay," Onalfo said.
Vermes said an exhaustive search for the new head coach ended with a clear-cut opinion from management that Onalfo was the top choice.
"We spent many hours talking about the individuals who had come before us," Vermes said. "At the end of the day, it became very apparent that one person stood out and that was Curt."
Vermes lauded Onalfo's tactical awareness of the game, ideas regarding development of players, organizational skills and personality.
"He brought those qualities to the forefront in our discussions with him," Vermes said.
Wizards defender Nick Garcia, who attended Monday's news conference, expects the Kansas City players to rally behind Onalfo.
"I've spent some time with Curt when I've been involved with the national team," Garcia said. "He has a wealth of knowledge and some great vision, not only for the short term, but the long term as well. We've got the tools, but now it's a matter of polishing them and instilling what Curt wants us to do."
Robert Falkoff is a contributor for MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
