On Thursday it was announced that Ante Razov has been hired as an Assistant Coach of Sounders FC. A former U.S. National Team striker, Razov is fourth on the MLS all-time scoring list with 114 goals. He will be working with a group of Seattle forwards that set numerous club and MLS records last season.
Razov caught up with SoundersFC.com to discuss his first coaching job at the professional level.
What are your initial thoughts on joining the Sounders FC technical staff and living in Seattle?
It’s a very big opportunity. I’m excited about joining a club that has had tremendous success. They are known around the league as one of the top organizations. I’m very fortunate to join this great club.
Seattle became an MLS club the same year you retired. How familiar are you with the city and the team? Have you spent much time at all in Seattle?
We came up once or twice for Open Cup and exhibition games, but I don’t know very much about the city. Obviously the Sounders have a massive history predating MLS. I’ve heard wonderful things about the city. I look forward to jumping with both feet in.
You played for Sigi Schmid at UCLA and have known him since you were 15. How much did your relationship with him factor into this decision?
There’s a relationship there for sure, and that makes it a lot easier. The organization is run very well up here. It definitely made it a lot easier to say yes.
What does it mean to you to be coaching in a league that you had so much success in as a player? Is one of your goals to help MLS continue growing?
Yes, absolutely. I was fortunate to have Sigi as a coach early in my life, and I was also fortunate to have Bob Bradley. I want to be a guy who the next generation of players can look up to and say they received good coaching, good structure and good management from. The goal is to push this thing along – not only the Sounders, but also Major League Soccer.
Several other members of the Sounders FC technical staff are former MLS players. How has the transition from player to coach gone for you?
It’s a different role, certainly. I initially went into the Academy phase, which is where I wanted to really learn and coach younger players before I got involved with the pro game. I think it was an important step. It was a natural transition, but it’s a bit of an unnatural feeling going from player to coach. Most former players who go into coaching will tell you that there’s a definite transition, but after a couple of years, I think I have a good grasp of what I want to do and where I want to go.
Do you desire to stay in coaching for a long time? What are your individual and team goals for the near future with the Sounders?
Absolutely. I want to be a coach, and someday down the road I want to be a First Team manager. That’s something that I aspire to be. I will try to prove myself every day. For the immediate future of this team, my emphasis will be on the attack. If I can get them to score just one more goal, maybe this is the year that the treble happens. That is my immediate goal – to work with the attacking group and see if we can score a few more goals, which last year would have resulted in a treble. So my emphasis is to get as much as I can out of the young guys and also to absorb as much as I can from the coaching staff.
At the forward position Sounders FC has a bunch of veterans, including Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins, as well as many young players. How excited are you to work with that group?
It’s the full spectrum. You have the big boys – Clint and Oba. I know Clint a bit from the time I spent on the National Team and playing against each other in MLS. Oba I do not know, but as a former No. 9 striker who loves to score goals, I look forward to working with those guys. That’s what really motivates me. With the young guys, it’s going to be a fun, fascinating experience getting them to see the different aspects of the game and getting them up to speed. We have some exciting pieces, and I’m really looking forward to working with them.
