The Colorado Rapids are preparing to announce the hiring of former Colombian national player Oscar Pareja as the team’s next head coach, an MLS source said Tuesday.

The official announcement could come as soon as Wednesday, when Pareja arrives in Commerce City.

Pareja was an assistant coach with FC Dallas since 2005. At Colorado, he will replace the ousted Gary Smith, who was fired in November, one year after the Rapids won the MLS championship.

The Rapids in recent weeks narrowed their coaching search to Vancouver Whitecaps assistant and former Rapids player Denis Hamlett; Tom Soehn, Vancouver’s director of soccer operations; former New York Red Bulls interim coach and current U.S. Under-18 coach Richie Williams; and Pareja.

An FC Dallas spokesperson declined to comment Tuesday if Pareja was still with the team. And a Rapids representative would not comment Tuesday.

But Rapids president Tim Hinchey said Tuesday on Twitter that the team “expects an announcement this week on our new coach.”

Hinchey took over for Jeff Plush as Rapids president on Dec. 12, part of a sweeping front-office turnover that included two of the three top jobs. Paul Bravo, Colorado’s technical director, was the only part of the trio to remain from last season.

Hinchey and Bravo’s first order of business was to hire a coach, and the team hoped to have one in place by Jan. 1.

Pareja in recent years served as Dallas’ reserves coach and director of academy, the team’s development squad.

Also on Tuesday, U.S. Soccer announced the departure of U-17 coach Wilmer Cabrera. The fellow former Colombian national player could join Pareja in Colorado as an assistant.

Nick Groke: 303-954-1015 or ngroke@denverpost.com

