Not many former MLS coaches would go on a team podcast a week after being fired -- but Mike Petke is not like most coaches.
The former New York Red Bulls' boss appeared to got emotional as he spoke on the Red Bulls' fan podcast "Seeing Red" on Monday, his first public comments since he was let go by the club last week.
"I just wanted to call in to tell everybody thank you so much," Petke said, his voice momentarily wavering as he spoke. "You've been my heart and soul for a long time. And that's something that I'll never forget, no matter what happens."
The show - a call-in episode featuring plenty of input from fans speaking their minds about the decision to dismiss Petke and bring in Jesse Marsch last week - was capped off with a 10-minute interview with Petke.
When asked how he was doing since losing his job, Petke, who won the 2013 Supporters' Shield with New York and led them to the Eastern Conference Championship last season, was relatively upbeat.
"I'm ok," he said. "I'm ok at this moment. It's been an incredibly difficult time for my family and I, but in all sincerity, the messages that I've gotten, specifically from the supporters, have been tremendous, and it's been an uplift, not just for myself but for my wife and my kids as well."
Despite the outpouring of support for Petke in the past week, he noted that he avoided most of the attention: "I've stayed away from social media as much as possible, but the little bit I've looked at, and through my family and close friends, who have been bombarding me with what's going on, obviously I'm flattered...
"But at the end of the day, this is the life of sports. And that's the one thing I keep coming back to," Petke added.
Petke was asked if he had a message for the supporters of the team, and he spoke about his affection for the club and loyalty associated through the ups and downs of the team's history.
"My message is...to thank all of the supporters, and thank everyone who has reached out to me, both personally and through other channels," he said. "Listen, I didn't take this job for money, I didn't take this job for a title, I took this job without a second guess because this is where my heart's always been.
"And the one thing that connects me to the supporters of this club, is that from 1998 when I started playing up until now we've gone through a lot of bad times. And I've learned a lot about loyalty from my parents, from my friends but really I've learned a ton about loyalty from the supporters of the MetroStars and then the Red Bulls, which stayed around. And that's what I've always respected about them."
Petke also promised to take in a game in the supporters' section at Red Bull Arena at some point.
"I'm going to be at the South Ward, watching a game with them at some point, and that's for sure," he said, "and that's because of the respect I have for them."
