D.C. United named former Chicago Fire star midfielder Peter Nowak as coach yesterday, replacing Ray Hudson, who was released last month after leading the team to the playoffs for the first time in four seasons.
Nowak, who captained the expansion Fire to the Major League Soccer title over D.C. United in 1998, has no coaching experience. Since retiring last year after five seasons in MLS, Nowak has filled various roles in Chicago’s front office, including youth player development and community relations.
“We are very excited to bring Peter to D.C. United as our head coach,” United technical director Dave Kasper said in a statement. “He has a wealth of experience in the game and knows what it takes to become successful in Major League Soccer.”
In 114 starts with Chicago, Nowak had 26 goals and 48 assists.
“I have great respect for this organization,” Nowak said in a statement. “This will be a new challenge for me. However, I’ve built my whole career on meeting such challenges and establishing a winning mentality. I expect things to be no different here.”
Before arriving in America in 1998, the native of Pabianice, Poland, spent five years in Germany playing for a number of clubs, including Kaiserslautern and 1860 Munich. He also was coach of Poland’s national team in 1996 and played in 24 games for the team, scoring three goals.
“As a player, I remember the great home field advantage that United enjoyed,” Nowak said. “Those great fans have suffered with the team as of late, and I hope our return to winning ways will allow us many chances to celebrate future successes together.”
Nowak will be introduced to the media today at RFK Stadium.
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