After eight years with Orlando City in the USL and MLS, Adrian Heath will move on from the Central Florida soccer club.
“Today is a very sad day for everyone associated with Orlando City and for me personally, as we agree to the mutual release of my good friend and our Head Coach for the past eight years, Adrian Heath,” said Orlando City SC Founder & President Phil Rawlins in an open letter published on Wednesday, July 6, 2016 on the Orlando City Soccer website.
The decision to let Heath go came just two days after the Orlando City Lions suffered a 4-0 loss against FC Dallas.
The Lions’ Assistant Head Coach, Mark Watson, has also left the Club by mutual agreement, effective immediately. Orlando City will be led in the interim by Assistant Coach Bobby Murphy and Orlando City B Assistant Coach Anthony Pulis while the club conducts a search for the Lions’ new head coach.
Heath relocated with the team to Orlando in 2011. He had been with the club from 2008 in Texas since its infancy when they were known as the Austin Aztex. Heath’s career with Orlando City saw two USL Championships and three USL regular season titles.
“It is always a very difficult decision to part ways with a head coach and not one that the Board of Directors has taken lightly. It is even more difficult when that coach has been instrumental in the growth of the Club since its inception over eight years ago. Adrian has served this Club with passion and enthusiasm,” said Rawlins. “While our successes together are undoubted, we believe the renewed energy this change will bring will be uplifting for the team. We feel that the time has come for us to move on with our future in MLS. We continue to remain very excited about the growth of our Club.”
“This is a very difficult moment, but I fully support the decision made by the Board. I want to thank Adrian for the commitment and hard work he has given our team over the years and wish him success in his career,” said Club Majority Owner Flavio Augusto da Silva. “Now, it’s time for us to turn our focus onto the rest of the season. We will do everything in our power to continue improving and giving our fans the best of us because they have been fantastic supporters.”
