From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thomas Rongen (born October 31, 1956 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch soccer coach, currently the Sporting Director of Major League Soccer club C.D. Chivas USA.

Rongen began his playing career with Ajax Amsterdam, with whom he played defensive midfielder and defender from 1975 to 1979 (Though he never played for the first team). Rongen moved to America in 1979, joining the Los Angeles Aztecs of the North American Soccer League. After playing with the Aztecs in 1979 and part of 1980, Rongen moved again to the Washington Diplomats for the end of the 1980 season. In 1981 he joined the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, who he would coach in a later incarnation, and with whom he would remain, even after they moved to Minneapolis and became the Minnesota Strikers, until their demise in 1986.

Rongen began his coaching career with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, whom he coached from 1989 to 1994. While coaching the Strikers during the summer, Rongen took another job as the head coach of Nova Southeastern University, which he headed from 1991 to 1995.

Rongen was one of the inaugural coaches in MLS, coaching the Tampa Bay Mutiny in their first season in 1996, with whom he won the MLS regular season, and also won MLS Coach of the Year Award. After a year with the Mutiny, Rongen moved to the New England Revolution, which he would coach in 1997 and 1998. After the Revolution, Rongen succeeded Bruce Arena as the head coach of D.C. United, which he would lead to an MLS Cup in 1999. However, Rongen lost his job with United in 2001, and was replaced with Ray Hudson.

Upon leaving United, Rongen was appointed head coach of the Under-20 United States men's national soccer team, which he coached from 2001 to his appointment as head coach of Chivas USA for the team's inaugural season in 2005. However, ten games into the season, with the team's record standing at one win, one tie, and eight losses, he was let go of his head coaching duties.