The Rapids won only six games under Pablo Mastroeni this season. (Scott Bales/YCJ Photo)
Pablo Mastroeni is looking for a new job these days.
The Colorado Rapids announced Tuesday that they fired head coach Pablo Mastroeni, who had directed the team to a 6-12-4 mark this season.
Steve Cooke was named interim coach while assistant coach Conor Casey and goalkeeper coach Chris Sharpe will remain in their current roles.
“We would like to thank Pablo for his contributions to this organization, both as a player and as head coach,” Rapids sporting director and interim general manager, Pádraig Smith said in a statement. “He has been dedicated to the growth of this club for over 15 years and played an instrumental role in many of our successes.
“Unfortunately, we have fallen short of our expectations, and this decision was taken in the best interest of the players and the organization as a whole.”
Mastroeni was appointed head coach prior to the 2014 season. He posted a 39-54-35 record, having guided the club to a trip to the Western Conference Championship last season.
Prior to arriving in Colorado in 2010, Cooke served as a development academy coach at Sheffield Wednesday, then of the English Premier League, from 1990-96. Additionally, he spent 10 years as assistant director of coaching for Sereno Soccer Club and SC del Sol in Phoenix.
Cooke joined the Rapids Development Academy in 2010. He was appointed to Oscar Pareja’s staff in 2012 to work with the first team. In 2014, Cooke was appointed as first team assistant coach to Mastroeni and had been in that role since.
