Ottawa Fury FC Head Coach Marc Dos Santos Named NASL Coach of the Year

After leading Ottawa Fury FC to a Fall Season title, and its best season in the club’s early history, Marc Dos Santos has been named 2015 NASL Coach of the Year, the league announced Wednesday.

“The first thing that comes into my head is my staff,” Dos Santos said. “It’s impossible for me to receive this award without them. I represent Martin Nash, Philip [Dos Santos], Darko [Buser], and Bruce [Grobbelaar]. This is all about the people that work with me daily.”

In his second year in Ottawa, Dos Santos and his team used a strong back line and excellent goalkeeping to set a host of defensive records. An incredible run in the second half of the season, which included losing only once in the last 25 matches, allowed Ottawa to host a match in The Championship Semifinals, where the club defeated Minnesota United, 2-1, in extra time.

“Marc has always demonstrated a strong level of focus and belief in his system, and he put together a group of players that you just expected to be successful,” NASL Commissioner Bill Peterson said. “He stayed on course and stayed true to his system and style of play, and the results started to come in a big way. His club shattered the competition throughout the Fall Season, and the effort earned them a well-deserved place in The Championship.”

The Montreal, Quebec, native became the first coach in Ottawa’s history when he took over the club in the summer of 2013 before its inaugural season the following year. The club has posted a 22W-17D-18L record in his two seasons at the helm.

“There has been a lot of sacrifice since July 2013 to build a team that would be respected in the NASL,” Dos Santos said. “At the end of the day, Fury FC is a respected team in the league and a lot of people have sacrificed time to get the club to this position. It’s rewarding to see that people recognize that.”

Dos Santos began his coaching career in 2006 with Trois-Rivières Attak, which originally served as the Montreal Impact’s academy team. Dos Santos then took over the first team in 2009 on an interim basis before coaching the team full time up until 2011. He then coached youth teams in Brazil - Primeira Camisa and Desportivo Brasil – before linking up with Fury FC.

“All the people that surround me have put me in a very good position to succeed individually,” Dos Santos said. “This award means nothing if you don’t acknowledge and realize how much the players helped you win an award like this.”

The NASL Coach of the Year award was voted on by media and fans, and Dos Santos joins Ricky Hill (Tampa Bay Rowdies – 2012), Brian Haynes (Atlanta Silverbacks – 2013), and Manny Lagos (Minnesota United – 2014) as winners of the award.