The New York Red Bulls announced today that they have signed head coach Mike Petke to a new contract. Per team regulations, specific terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Born and raised in Long Island, Petke became head coach for New York in January 2013. In his first year, the 2013 MLS Coach of the Year finalist guided the Red Bulls to a League-best 59 points off a 17-9-8 record, helping the club clinch its first-ever MLS Supporters’ Shield. The Red Bulls will return to Red Bull Arena for their home opener Saturday, March 15 against the Colorado Rapids at 4:00 PM (TV: MSG). Tickets are on sale now by calling 1.877.RBSOCCER or logging onto tickets.newyorkredbulls.com.
“Mike is a passionate coach with great potential and this improved contract is the club's way of recognizing last season’s Supporters’ Shield success,” said Red Bulls Sporting Director Andy Roxburgh. “In the highly competitive MLS, winning the regular season title last year was a great achievement and provides Mike and the club with a good platform to build on.”
“I am pleased to reach a new deal with my hometown club,” Petke said. “We have enjoyed success during my short time as head coach and all of the credit goes to our players, staff and most importantly, our supporters. While winning the Supporters’ Shield was a major achievement for our club last year, my overall goal of building a team with a long-term identity that our fans can be proud of remains unchanged. I look forward to continuing this mission in the 2014 season and beyond.”
Prior to becoming head coach, Petke spent two seasons as an assistant coach on New York’s staff after an illustrious 13-year playing career. The 38-year-old played for New York from 1998-2002 and 2009-10 and holds the current club record for games played with 169 (196 in all competitions), games started (158 regular season) and minutes played (14,060 regular season).
Drafted by New York in 1998 with the 8th overall pick in the MLS Draft, Petke made his debut on April 17, 1998 against the Chicago Fire. He helped the team to its first Eastern Division title in 2000 and was a three-time MLS All-Star. Petke was traded to D.C. United before the 2003 season and won his only MLS Cup in 2004 with United. He was then traded to Colorado during their 2005 campaign, helping the Rapids to reach the Western Conference Final. Petke returned to New York prior to the 2009 season and was part of the Red Bulls squad that won the Eastern Conference regular season title in 2010.
The Bohemia, NY native finished his career with 307 appearances in league play (351 in all competitions), in which he scored 13 goals and four assists. He is one of 21 MLS players who have appeared in 300 or more career regular season matches. Petke also earned two caps for the United States.
Prior to his professional career, Petke spent four years at Southern Connecticut State University, leading the team to the NCAA Division II National title in 1995.
