New York Red Bulls fire assistant coaches

By Steve Goff

Just two weeks before the start of the MLS season, the New York Red Bulls have fired longtime assistant coaches Richie Williams and Des McAleenan, multiple sources told the Insider on Monday. One source said the reason was repeated violation of club rules. Another cited punctuality.

Williams, a former D.C. United midfielder, has served the Red Bulls for five-plus seasons and is listed as head coach Hans Backe's top assistant. McAleenan, the goalkeepers coach, has been with the MLS club for more than 10 years.

Asked whether the team was making changes to the coaching staff, a team spokesman said he did not want to comment. The Red Bulls seem likely to address the issue this evening. The club's only other assistant is Jan Halvor Halvorsen, who was hired in January.

UPDATE: The Red Bulls have confirmed the dismissals. "As an organization, we decided to go a different direction with our coaching staff," GM Erik Soler said in a written statement.

