Minnesota United announced today that the club’s coaching staff has been completed ahead of its inaugural MLS season. Head Coach Adrian Heath added two assistant coaches as well as goalkeeper coach to his staff.
Heath officially named Ian Fuller and Mark Watson as his assistant coaches and Marius Røvde as the goalkeeping coach for MNUFC's 2017 debut in Major League Soccer.
“Like most coaches, you like to be familiar with your coaching staff, if you are comfortable with them and know how they work on a daily basis that breeds success,” said Heath. “I look back at what Mark [Watson] and Ian [Fuller] and I did in Orlando and I am very proud of what we achieved. I am delighted we managed to get the three of us back together again.”
Fuller is a Portland native, and first met Heath when he joined Heath’s Austin Aztex in 2010, and was promoted to player-assistant coach for the club’s USL journey, and then was tapped to join the coaching staff full time as an assistant coach when Orlando joined MLS. Fuller is a familiar name to the MNUFC fanbase; he joined Minnesota for the club’s final season in the North American Soccer League.
Watson, a former Canadian national team defender and assistant coach, brings a wealth of MLS experience to MNUFC, having played for teams including the Seattle Sounders, Vancouver Whitecaps, and D.C. United. Additionally, Watson managed the San Jose Earthquakes before joining Orlando City as an assistant under Heath in 2014.
During his tenure at San Jose, Watson helped guide the team to a playoff berth in 2010 and the club’s second Supporters’ Shield in 2012. He was named interim head coach in June 2013 and closed the season with the best record in MLS at 11-5-3.
In addition to his MLS experience, Watson previously served as assistant coach with the Canadian Men’s National U-20 and senior teams, as well as several years as an assistant with the USL PRO Charleston Battery.
A Norwegian native, Røvde brings nearly thirty years of playing and coaching experience to Minnesota. As a player, he enjoyed a very successful career, starting with his hometown club Rosenborg BK. He played with teams across Europe, playing in top leagues in Norway and Scotland, as well as League One in England. He retired in 2006.
“Marius is a pro, he understands the game and the nuance of his position,” Heath said. “He has had a lot of success both playing the position and coaching. We are thrilled to bring someone of his caliber in to round out our staff and help our club be successful on the field.”
From 2008 to 2011, he was the head goalkeeping coach of Trinidad and Tobago Professional Football League side Joe Public FC. While working with the club, he also was involved with the Trinidad and Tobago national team program; and was part of the coaching staff for several youth national teams, the women’s national team, and was the country’s director of goalkeeping.
Røvde came to Vancouver in 2011 for the club’s first season in MLS. Since joining the club, he has also coached Canada’s youth national team goalkeepers.
He holds a Goalkeeping A Coaching License with UEFA (European Federation) and KNVB (Dutch Federation), and a B Coaching License with UEFA.
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