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NAME: Colin Clarke
POSITION: Head coach
EXPERIENCE: First season
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Colin Clarke, who was named Head Coach for the Dallas Burn on December 4, 2003, brings a wealth of experience to the Burn from both a coaching standpoint as well as an extremely successful playing career on the international stage.
"With Colin, we have found someone with a unique set of attributes," said Burn President and General Manager Greg Elliott. "In addition to having a tremendous playing pedigree, he has enjoyed success as a professional head coach, has demonstrated the ability to nurture and grow young players, possesses a solid knowledge of Major League Soccer and its policies and is highly respected by his peers in the soccer community."
Clarke, 41, has served as Assistant Coach for the Burn for the last three years and was the Interim Head Coach for the final six games of the 2003 season. Prior to joining the Burn, he spent the previous year as the head coach for the San Diego Flash of the A-League, guiding the team to a 16-9-3 record and a second place finish in the Pacific Division. Clarke, who holds a FA (British) coaching badge and a USSF Class "A" coaching license, also spent two very successful seasons as head coach of the A-League's Richmond Kickers. From 1998-99, he guided the Kickers to a 38-18 regular season record and playoff appearances both years.
Clarke's storied playing career includes 38 appearances with the Northern Ireland National Team, where he scored 13 goals, including a goal vs. Spain in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. A gritty and aggressive striker, he played in the English Leagues from 1981-93 with six different teams, including Portsmouth, Southampton and Queens Park Rangers. During his 12-year career, he played in 361 English League matches and tallied 146 goals.
Clarke is married to Gwenn and has a two-year-old son, Max.
