MISL Coach of the Year - Cleveland Force's Omid Namazi
WESTPORT, Conn. – The Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) announced Friday that Cleveland Force head coach Omid Namazi has been named the 2005 MISL Coach of the Year following a week-long balloting process that polled media and team personnel and concluded on Monday. Namazi, who on Saturday completed his first full regular season with Cleveland, guided the Force to wins in 15 of its final 19 regular season games and a 23-16 overall record, good for a second-place finish in the MISL regular season standings. This is the first MISL Coach of the Year honor for the 39-year-old Namazi, who has been involved with professional indoor soccer, either as a player or coach, for much of the past decade.
“From my standpoint, this award shows that you’re someone that’s looked at as a winner in this league,” Namazi said. “At the same time, I really believe that winning the championship and winning overall surpasses any individual accolades. With the way the team has turned the corner, to continue this great run through the playoffs would mean more than anything to me.”
Namazi, who has an overall coaching record of 111-75 in the league, first served as the head coach of the Philadelphia KiXX for parts of five seasons (1999-2002), a stint during which he led that club to the 2001-02 MISL Championship. After departing Philadelphia, Namazi spent one season as the head coach of the San Diego Spirit in the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA), and guided that team to its first postseason appearance. Namazi then returned to the MISL in December, 2003, as a player for Cleveland. The former MISL Defender of the Year (2001), was named the Force’s interim head coach on March 2, 2004, and was promoted to the permanent position in April, 2004, after leading the team to a 5-5 finish and a postseason appearance.
“I can’t think of anyone that is more deserving of this recognition than Omid,” Force President and General Manager Paul Garofolo said. “He has done an outstanding job in transitioning our organization from a team of great individual players, to a team of great team-oriented players. Omid continues to establish a track record of success in whatever it is he applies his abilities.”
ABOUT THE MISL
The Major Indoor Soccer League is a single-entity organization featuring a coast-to-coast presence with seven teams located across the United States. The MISL is the single major league of indoor soccer. In February of 2004, the League announced an expansion team in Stockton, CA, that will begin play in 2005-06. On May 4, 2004, the League announced plans for an expansion team in Newark, NJ, that will begin play in 2007-08. The 2004-05 Championship Series begins with the Semifinal Round this weekend. The 2005 MISL Championship Series Finals are scheduled for Saturday, May 14 at U.S. Cellular Arena in Milwaukee (Game One) and Saturday, May 21 at Savvis Center in St. Louis (Game Two). The MISL Championship Series Finals will be telecast live in prime time on ESPN2. For more information on the MISL, visit the League’s website at www.MISL.net.