The Swope Park Rangers announced the hiring of head coach Marc Dos Santos on Friday ahead of the club’s inaugural USL season in 2016. Dos Santos will also serve as an assistant on the Sporting Kansas City coaching staff under Manager Peter Vermes.

“I often need time to make an important decision but I must say this was one of the easiest ones to make,” Dos Santos said. “It’s clear to me that I’m joining a fantastic organization with a great group of people. The vision that the club has with Swope Park Rangers, coupled with the city and the fans in Kansas City, definitely had an impact on my decision. I’m looking forward to starting this project and I’m sure it will be a successful one."

The North American Soccer League Coach of the Year in 2015, Dos Santos led the Ottawa Fury FC to the NASL Championship Final this month after a first-place finish in the Fall Season. The 38-year-old Montreal native enters his 10th season as a manager in 2016 with a distinguished coaching career in which he has developed players at the professional and amateur levels.

Dos Santos was first hired by the Montreal Impact in January 2007 to lead the club’s reserve team, Trois-Rivieres Attak FC, in the Canadian Soccer League. After leading the squad to titles in their initial two seasons – first as 2007 Open Canada Cup champions, then as 2008 CSL National Division champions – Dos Santos was added to the Impact’s technical staff as an assistant coach in June 2008 and became head coach in May 2009.

During his tenure, the Impact won the inaugural Canadian Championship in 2008 to claim the Voyageurs Cup and a berth in the 2008-09 CONCACAF Champions League. Dos Santos then led Montreal through three different leagues in consecutive campaigns, winning the USL First Division title in 2009 before transitioning into USSF Division 2 in 2010 and the North American Soccer League in 2011.

Dos Santos moved to Brazil in 2012 to focus on youth initiatives with FC Primeira Camisa (U-20’s) and SE Palmeiras (U-15’s), culminating with a Copa do Brasil Sub-15 championship and a technical director position with Desportivo Brasil. Dos Santos then returned to Canada in July 2013 as the head coach of the Ottawa Fury FC ahead of their 2014 expansion season in the North American Soccer League.

A dual citizen of Canada and Portugal, Dos Santos holds a UEFA “A” coaching license and is fluent in four languages. He is the father of three children with his wife Marie.

VITALS

Full Name: Marc Dos Santos

Birthplace: Montreal, Canada

Birthdate: May 26, 1977 (38 years old)

Citizenship: Canada and Portugal

Languages: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese

Coaching License: UEFA “A” (June 2010)

Career Accomplishments: