FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution announced that the club has parted ways with head coach Jay Heaps, effective immediately. Assistant coach Tom Soehn will take over as interim head coach for the remainder of the 2017 MLS season.
“Jay has done a great deal for the club over the years and had considerable achievements. I have great respect for him and wish him well in the next steps of his career,” said New England Revolution General Manager Michael Burns. “This decision has not been taken lightly, however, we need to do better than the results have shown from the last couple of seasons and this season left us convinced we need to go in a different direction.”
Heaps leaves the Revolution after six seasons as head coach, having been named the sixth head coach in club history on Nov.14, 2011. As head coach, the New England native led the Revs to three consecutive MLS Cup Playoff appearances from 2013-15, a trip to MLS Cup in 2014, and the 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final. He concludes his tenure as the Revs' second-longest serving coach with a record of 75-81-43 in the regular season and a 4-3-1 postseason mark.
“Jay gave the club his all as a player and coach, and we are thankful to him for all his passion and hard work,” said Brian Bilello, New England Revolution President. “We will always be grateful for his efforts in bringing us back to both an MLS Cup final and a U.S. Open Cup Final and wish nothing but the best for him moving forward.”
Heaps has been a central figure in 15 of the Revolution's 22 seasons in MLS, including nine years as one of the team's all-time great defenders from 2001-09. He played a part in all five of the Revolution's Eastern Conference championships, four as a player, and helped lead the club to the U.S. Open Cup Final on three occasions, including the club's victory in 2007.
As a Revolution player, Heaps totaled 243 appearances, started 238 matches, and recorded 21,619 minutes played, all of which rank third most in club annals. Including three seasons with the Miami Fusion, his regular season career totals include 314 games played, 299 starts, 17 goals, and 34 assists. In the postseason, Heaps added a remarkable 30 appearances, all starts, with one goal and two assists.
