Former Wizards Leading Teams

With the news that former Wizards #10 Mo Johnston is moving from Head Coach to Manager/Director of Soccer, Hillcrest got to thinking about all the former Wizards calling the shots at MLS teams throughout the league. In total, nine former players are either a head coach or a technical director/player personnel decision maker. Let's recap them:

Peter Vermes - Technical Director Kansas City Wizards
PV, our local favorite, played for the Wizards as a star center back from 2000-2002. Vermes was named 2000 MLS Defender of the Year as the Wizards defense led the team to its first-ever championship. That season, Vermes started centrally in a 3-5-2 with inexperienced wing backs Nick Garcia and Brandon Prideaux. PV became Technical Director of the Wizards in November of 2006 and helped orchestrate drafts last season that produced regulars Michael Harrington and Kurt Morsink and top reserve Aaron Hohlbein.

Brian Bliss - Technical Director Columbus Crew
"Blissy" played but one season with the Wizards, 1998, but became an organizational mainstay shortly thereafter. Bliss joined the staff as an assistant coach in 1999 and remained until 2006. He became the interim head coach after Bob Gansler stepped down mid-season in 2006 and was a finalist for the permanent job before Kansas City selected Curt Onalfo. Bliss was named Technical Director of Columbus last month.

Mike Burns - Director of Soccer New England Revolution
Burns played in 43 games as a left back for the Wizards in 2001 and 2002. He has been Director of Soccer for New England (with whom he played from 1996-2000) since April of 2005.

Chris Henderson - Technical Director Seattle MLS
Henderson was a valuable player on the 2000 MLS Cup Championship squad in his second and final season as a Wizards player. Henderson scored 12 goals and recorded 15 assists in 61 matches over that span and came back to Kansas City in 2007 as an assistant coach after retiring from the league. Henderson, a Washington state native, was named Technical Director by Seattle MLS in January.

Mo Johnston - Manager/Director of Soccer Toronto FC
Johnston starred for the Wizards from 1996-2001 as a forward known for his dangerous offensive ability and leadership. He scored 31 goals and added 28 assists, good for third in both categories in Wizards history. The former Celtic, Everton and Rangers striker first became a coach/player personnel guru in 2005 with MetroStars, leaving mid-season 2006 when Bruce Arena took over. Johnston was head coach of Toronto FC for their first season but has moved upstairs to give more time to his player acquisition duties. Johnston has been responsible for the drafting of Marvell Wynne, Jozy Altidore and Maurice Edu.

Frank Klopas- Technical Director Chicago Fire
Klopas played as a forward for Kansas City in 1996 and 1997, scoring 7 goals and adding 11 assists in 49 games. He then went to Chicago for two seasons and was named Technical Director of the club in January under new ownership group Andell Holdings.

Garth Lagerway- General Manager Real Salt Lake
Lagerway started the most games at goalkeeper in the Wizards inaugural season, posting a 1.75 goals against average in 23 games (22 starts). Lagerway went on to spend four more seasons in MLS for Dallas and Miami. After his career, he became a broadcaster for D.C. United before being hired by Real Salt Lake as GM last September.

Alexi Lalas- General Manager Los Angeles Galaxy
Lalas played one season for the Wizards, recording 4 goals and 1 assists in 30 games in 1999. His career wrapped up in 2003 with the Galaxy, who he now leads. Lalas began his front-office career for AEG as GM of the San Jose Earthquakes after his retirement, transferred to MetroStars in 2005 until Red Bull officially took over and then joined LA in April of 2006. Lalas oversees Director of Soccer Paul Bravo in Los Angeles but still has a role in player-personnel decisions.

Preki- Head Coach Chivas USA
Preki, still the Wizards all-time leader in goals (71) and assists (98) played 9 seasons for the Wizards (1996-2000, 2002-2005), and left as the organization's all-time leader in games played (218) and minutes played (17,818). He joined Chivas USA as an assistant coach in 2006 and became head coach prior to the 2007 season when Bob Bradley left to manage the U.S. National Team. Preki was named MLS Coach of the Year in 2007 after leading the Goats to the best record in the Western Conference. Preki was named MLS MVP twice as a player (1997 and 2003) and Scoring Champion twice (1997 and 2003).

Other former Wizards around MLS:

Brian Johnson - Assistant Coach Real Salt Lake
BJ played in 67 games from 1997-2001 as a midfielder/defender for the Wizards. He has been a member of RSL's staff in 2006.

Mark Santel- MLS Regional Ambassador
Santel played in 21 games for the Wizards in 2001 and currently serves as Regional Ambassador for MLS.

Paul Rideout- KCW Juniors Head Coach
Rideout, a former Aston Villa and Everton striker, played in 27 games for the Wizards in 1998. Rideout scored 4 goals and added 3 assists that season. He has been Head Coach of the KCW Juniors program since it was founded in 2007 after spending the previous five years as a youth club coach in Kansas City. The Juniors finished as runners-up to established youth system D.C. United in the inaugural SUM U-17 Cup last summer less than a month after the team was first formed.


If we've missed anyone else throughout the league, please fill us in and we will gladly update. Former Wizards seem to be ruling the league these days.