The New England Revolution ensured their season would continue into the playoffs with their 2-2 draw Saturday with the Montreal Impact and in the process propelled their coach into some notable territory.
In his third-year at the helm, Jay Heaps joined two exclusive clubs, becoming just the third person in league history to both play and coach in 100 games for the same club while also becoming just the second coach in team history to lead the Revs to two postseason appearances.
"The club has been patient, and Jay has been patient," said captain Jose Goncalves. "With 100 games and second consecutive playoffs, that's the fruit of the work. He's intense ... it's good like this."
Heaps, who played in 243 games with New England, joins former Columbus head coach Robert Warzycha and current D.C. United head coach Ben Olsen in the 100/100 club and Steve Nicol as the only Revs coaches to get the club to two playoff appearances. Asked if he had been able to sit back and reflect on his accomplishment, he said there hasn’t been much time.
“We're so focused on what we're doing game-by-game,” he said.
It hasn’t always been easy for Heaps, who inherited a Revolution club that was coming off one of the worst seasons in its history, recording just five wins and 28 points in 2011.
Under his tutelage, New England improved in his first year, winning four more matches than the season prior but falling short of the MLS Cup playoffs. But last year they finished with a flourish to clinch their first playoff spot since 2009 on the very last day of the season.
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"That's really important," said Heaps of the team's continued ascent. "Playoffs are the most important thing to get into. That's a goal from opening day every year. That's an important accomplishment."
"I think he's learned a lot," Kelyn Rowe told MLSsoccer.com on Tuesday. "I think he's grown as a coach, and that makes us grow as a team."
Heaps has also been working with one of the youngest rosters in the league for three seasons. In the process, he has helped shape many of those youngsters into legitimate international hopefuls, most notably Lee Nguyen, Rowe, Andrew Farrell and Diego Fagundez.
"Jay believes in the fact that no matter the age, a player can play," said Rowe, Heaps' first draft pick after he returned to the club in a coaching capacity in 2012. "That's given us experience and confidence."
