Jesse Marsch, Head Coach of the New York Red Bulls, was named MLS Coach of the Year on Tuesday. Marsch beat out finalists Oscar Pereja, head coach of FC Dallas, and Carl Robinson of the Vancouver Whitecaps to win the award.
Marsch is the first Red Bulls manager to win Coach of the Year since the award was first presented in 1996. The news comes ahead of the Red Bulls' second leg of the Eastern Conference final against the Columbus Crew.
Marsch and the Red Bulls finished the regular season 18-10-6, good enough to earn the Supporters' Shield for the best record in the MLS. The Red Bulls were at, or near the top, of every offensive category including most goals and assists, to go along with a +19 goal differential.
No stranger to North American Soccer, Marsch spent 14 years as a player throughout the MLS and has previous experience coaching with the Montreal Impact, where he lead the Impact to a 12-16-6 record in their inaugural season. After leaving Montreal, Marsch moved on to the MLS office before taking over coaching duties with the Red Bulls in January of this year.
After taking over the Red Bulls, fans were concerned Marsch would have his work cut out for him. The Red Bulls had just parted ways with high profile strikers Thierry Henry and Tim Cahill, leaving the roster with serious question marks. Over the 2015 season, Marsch proved that a high payroll isn't necessary to produce results, as he lead the club to the best regular season record in franchise history.
Despite their regular season success Marsch and the Red Bulls are in tough against the Columbus Crew, as they find themselves down 2-0 after the first leg of the MLS Eastern Conference finals. The second leg of the Eastern Conference final is set to take place on Nov. 29 in Harrison, N.J.
