Hendrickson out to become the best head coach in MLS

Former St Vincent and the Grenadines Senior Football Team Captain Ezra Hendrickson is not ruling out becoming this country’s Head Coach, but he first wants to become the best head coach in Major League Soccer (MLS).{{more}}

Hendrickson, who is a current Assistant Coach with the Seattle Sounders in the MLS, was back home on vacation, and in an interview with SEARCHLIGHT at the Victoria Park recently, expressed his desire.

“I will be lying if I say I will not like to one day; but right now I am working on becoming the best head coach in the MLS,” Hendrickson said.

The Executive of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation (SVGFF) is in search of a head coach, after the Technical Director, Englishman Colwyn Rowe, who doubled up as Head Coach, resigned from his substantive post last November.

In accordance with Rowe’s contract, he was required to give the SVGFF five months notice.

Hendrickson, who became part of the Sounders set up in 2009, in the franchise’s debut season, in making reference to the current St Vincent and the Grenadines’ situation added, “There’s a head coach in place and different executives have different plans”.

“I am still learning the trade. Who is better to learn from than one of the best (Sigi Schmid)”, Hendrickson, who turns 40 next Monday, stated.

Hendrickson is thankful that immediately on the heels of his retirement from professional Football in 2008, he was drafted into coaching.

“I must thank God for that, and making the transition was easy, because I had played under Schmid for many years,” the very articulate Hendrickson said.

Hendrickson played parts of eight seasons under Schmid, inclusive of three seasons with the Columbus Crew, prior to his retirement.

A member of three MLS Cup Championships teams, Hendrickson was part of the winning formula for two, under the guidance of Schmid.

A bubbly Hendrickson is gleeful of his present role with the Sounders.

“I am happy in my job, the fans are great and that is great for the club,” Hendrickson, who holds a US B Soccer Coaching licence, added.

Last MLS season, the Seattle boasted an average attendance of 38,496 per home game.

Hendrickson, who was born in the Central Leeward town of Layou, but migrated to the United States as a teenager, returned in 1995 to represent St Vincent and the Grenadines and went on to be part of this country’s lone team to enter the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 1996.

Hendrickson, on his Christmas trip, also used the occasion to get a first hand view of the existing football talent here, as he conducted two days of exhibition drills, scrimmages and short matches at the Victoria Park, on December 29 and 30.