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Rhode Island FC’s leader has received a well-deserved commitment.
The soccer club's general manager and head coach, Khano Smith, agreed to a multiyear contract extension with the club on Thursday. The contract length and value have not been disclosed.
RIFC surged to the USL Championship league final in its first season as a club.
“[Smith] and his staff deserve a ton of credit for the season that we had last year,” RIFC cofounder Michael Parkhurst said in a phone interview on Thursday. “We were incredibly proud of the run that we made and the success that they had. But even before the playoff run, we had some early conversations about doing [a contract extension]. We were just so aware and pleased with how the technical side has come together.”
RIFC was ousted by the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, 3-0, in November, but Smith managed the club through the Eastern Conference. The Cinderella run included wins over perennial contender, Louisville City FC and Charleston Battery as Rhode Island landed on the league’s biggest stage.
“We wanted to get [the contract extension] done before the season started,” Parkhurst said. “Everyone's excited that it's done and he's got the peace of mind that it’s done.
“I think that down toward the end of the season, when we got on that playoff run, some teams got tired at the end of the season. We were peaking, and I think that has a lot to do with the training sessions, the morale of the group and those things only come from the coaching staff.”
Smith managed through a tough month to start the year as Rhode Island didn’t find its first win until April 20 in Las Vegas. But an eight-game unbeaten streak that included a foreshadowing, 5-2 victory at Louisville City FC in June, flipped the switch for Rhode Island. The club earned the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and started its journey with a 3-2 win over Indy Eleven.
“I think that even in the early parts of the season, when things weren't going great, they weren't going bad,” Parkhurst said.
“It's so difficult in year one. To see that turnaround in the second half of the season, and things really blossom, I think it showed us that we had the right guy in charge.”
Smith’s contract extension coincides with the club’s second season, which is to start Saturday in Charleston. RIFC will play on the road for the first six games of the season before hosting The Stadium at Tidewater Landing opener on May 3 against San Antonio FC.
“The expectations are high,” Parkhurst said. “We've got a great group together again, and we're excited to open up the stadium. We know that it's tough to start. … It's not easy to have six away games to start a season, but there's also the pie waiting for them in this beautiful stadium.
“We're excited to have him leading the charge here for the foreseeable future.”
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Rhode Island FC and coach Khano Smith agree to contract extension
Continue reading...
The soccer club's general manager and head coach, Khano Smith, agreed to a multiyear contract extension with the club on Thursday. The contract length and value have not been disclosed.
RIFC surged to the USL Championship league final in its first season as a club.
“[Smith] and his staff deserve a ton of credit for the season that we had last year,” RIFC cofounder Michael Parkhurst said in a phone interview on Thursday. “We were incredibly proud of the run that we made and the success that they had. But even before the playoff run, we had some early conversations about doing [a contract extension]. We were just so aware and pleased with how the technical side has come together.”
RIFC was ousted by the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, 3-0, in November, but Smith managed the club through the Eastern Conference. The Cinderella run included wins over perennial contender, Louisville City FC and Charleston Battery as Rhode Island landed on the league’s biggest stage.
“We wanted to get [the contract extension] done before the season started,” Parkhurst said. “Everyone's excited that it's done and he's got the peace of mind that it’s done.
“I think that down toward the end of the season, when we got on that playoff run, some teams got tired at the end of the season. We were peaking, and I think that has a lot to do with the training sessions, the morale of the group and those things only come from the coaching staff.”
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Smith managed through a tough month to start the year as Rhode Island didn’t find its first win until April 20 in Las Vegas. But an eight-game unbeaten streak that included a foreshadowing, 5-2 victory at Louisville City FC in June, flipped the switch for Rhode Island. The club earned the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and started its journey with a 3-2 win over Indy Eleven.
“I think that even in the early parts of the season, when things weren't going great, they weren't going bad,” Parkhurst said.
“It's so difficult in year one. To see that turnaround in the second half of the season, and things really blossom, I think it showed us that we had the right guy in charge.”
Smith’s contract extension coincides with the club’s second season, which is to start Saturday in Charleston. RIFC will play on the road for the first six games of the season before hosting The Stadium at Tidewater Landing opener on May 3 against San Antonio FC.
“The expectations are high,” Parkhurst said. “We've got a great group together again, and we're excited to open up the stadium. We know that it's tough to start. … It's not easy to have six away games to start a season, but there's also the pie waiting for them in this beautiful stadium.
“We're excited to have him leading the charge here for the foreseeable future.”
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Rhode Island FC and coach Khano Smith agree to contract extension
Continue reading...
