VANCOUVER, B.C. — With Vancouver Whitecaps preseason camp set to open on Monday, manager Martin Rennie rounded out his coaching staff on Friday with the official hiring of his two assistants.
Rennie has appointed former Welsh international and New York Red Bulls midfielder Carl Robinson and Jake DeClute, who formerly worked with Rennie as an assistant with the Cascade Surge and then the Cleveland City Stars.
The 35-year-old Robinson played a total of five MLS seasons, including last year with New York. But it was his analytical approach to the game that convinced Rennie he’s ready for a job on the other side of the white line.
“I wanted to have someone on the staff who had MLS experience,” Rennie told MLSsoccer.com on Friday. “He’s someone I’ve got to know over the last few years and I’ve been impressed with his knowledge of soccer and his knowledge of players.
“I would give him a call about particular players or I’d ask him about specific teams, and once I got talking to him and heard the way he would analyze things and break things down, I was really impressed,” Rennie continued. “When I called other people for similar information, it was never as detailed, never as thought provoking. With him, I thought this guy is someone who is going to be a good coach and someone I’d like to work with.”
While Robinson will work directly with the team, DeClute's responsibilities will revolve around scouting and the player development system at the club.
“[DeClute] is a highly qualified coach who studies the game in great detail and he’s great with people,” Rennie said. “Jake will be more involved in the scouting, scouting the opposition, scouting other players and coordinating our scouting efforts. We need to centralize [scouting] and grow it a little bit, and he’ll also help with working with players as they transition from the academy to the first team.”
