Manager Oros Bala introduced his new lead assistants at an FC Whitehorse Freezers press conference today. Bala addressed the media present alongside his new staff. "I was adamant in coming here the kind of people, the talent I wanted on my staff. Today, I feel strongly that we have a good group here to build a path to success."
By far the biggest surprise was the announcement that former top striker Corwyn Westlake would be the assistant manager. Over his 17 year CSL career, the 42 year old from Kingston tallied 306 goals in 534 matches. Westlake has since done some work as an instructor for the Canadian national team, but is taking on his first coaching position at the club level. "When I got the call, I will say I was certainly taken by surprise" said Westlake with a bit of a laugh. "But, I am grateful for the opportunity. I spent a lot of years competing with Oros and I know that he has the same fire, the same drive that I do. It's going to take work to build this club, but I am here and ready to put in that work."
The Freezers' new goalkeeping coach is Leroy Lebau. A reliable journeyman netminder, Lebau played in 194 CSL matches for 8 different clubs over an 11 year career. The 34 year old Montreal native announced his retirement from professional football in advance of last season, and after a year off, is looking forward to trying his hand at coaching. "After last year, I was looking for a new challenge in the world of football, and I now believe that I have found that here in Whitehorse. Working with a group of young goalkeepers, I really do feel like I have a lot of wisdom I can pass on to these players."
Rounding out the staff announced today, Manager Bala brought his assistant from the Hungarian U18 team Zoárd Virágh to Whitehorse to serve as the first team coach. After a relatively brief pro career as a defender in his native Hungary, the 47 year old Virágh has spent the last 19 years working in a variety of personnel roles. While Virágh did not speak at the press conference today, his manager spoke very highly of him. "Zoárd is a person that I knew I needed to have when I came here" said Bala. "He is an absolute tactical wizard, and knows exactly the kind of system we want to install here."
Asked about the potential for new player acquisitions, the Whitehorse manager kept his cards close to his chest. "We are in the early stages of finding talent. It's too early to say anything officially, but we are going to find players that are going to fit in with what we are trying to do here."