FRIDAY, JUNE 8: Reggie Lambe has a new head coach as Toronto FC fired Aron Winter on Thursday.
He has been replaced by Paul Mariner, who recommended Lambe to Toronto prior to the start of the season.
Winter took over Toronto in January 2011 and had a terrible start to the 2012 campaign losing the first nine league contests before winning his last match 1-0 against the Philadelphia Union.
He won only seven games out of 44 with Toronto.
Paul Anselmi, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment executive VP and COO, the parent company of TFC, said: “We’ve played well enough in a number of regular season games this year, but the results haven’t been there and that’s where it matters most and ultimately we felt that necessitated a change.”
Mariner, 59, was Toronto’s director of player development, joined TFC the same day Winter was hired.
He was previously an assistant coach with the New England Revolution from 2004-09, during which part of the time Khano Smith played for them.
Mariner said at a press conference: “I’m a very modest man, but I’ve got unbelievable confidence in my own ability. I know exactly what I’m doing in training this week. I know exactly what the team will be next weekend, barring injuries, I know how we’re going to play.
“It’s almost written what’s going to occur. I can’t wait to get started.”