Former US national team, Columbus Crew and Chicago Fire forward Brian McBride was named to the coaching search committee for another one of his former club's, English Championship side Fulham, in a club statement on Tuesday.
Fulham chairman Shahid Khan named McBride among five committee members with whom Khan will consult in the hiring of a new coach. Other members include former players Danny Murphy and Niall Quinn, Fulham Academy director Huw Jennings, and Nike executive David Daly, a Fulham season-ticket holder.
A veteran of three World Cups for the US national team, scoring in two, and captain of the 2008 Olympic team, McBride played for Fulham from 2004-08. He was named the team's player of the year twice, and was team captain in the 2007-08 season, his last in England before returning to MLS to finish his career with the Chicago Fire.
In 11 MLS seasons, McBride scored 90 goals in 248 regular-season and playoff games for the Columbus Crew (1996-03) and Chicago (2008-10). Currently, McBride works as a part-time assistant coach for the Fire and as an analyst for FOX Soccer. According to the statement, McBride met with Fulham officials in Jacksonville this summer when Fulham played D.C. United and is in regular contact with the search committee.
Former Fulham coach Felix Magath became the third coach to be fired in the last 10 months when he was let go on Sept. 18, and the club are currently being coached by caretaker manager Kit Symons, who is a candidate for the long-term job, according to the statement. Through nine games, Fulham (1-7-1) are currently 23rd in the 24-team Championship, from which the bottom three teams are relegated to League One at the end of the season, and have allowed a league-worst 20 goals.
