A familiar face to Rapids fans is back in Colorado after six years of wandering the soccer world, as local club Colorado Rush announced the hiring of Gary Smith as their new Academy Director.
Smith had last served as head coach for the Atlanta Silverbacks in the NASL.
Smith was the head coach of the Rapids from 2008 to 2011. In 2010 he took a talented but lightly regarded Rapids squad all the way to MLS Cup, winning the trophy for the first and only time in franchise history. After a 12-13-9 (WTL) record in 2011, and despite earning a spot in MLS playoffs, Smith was sacked by then-General Manager Jeff Plush.