When Major League Soccer's New York Red Bulls were looking for a new coach at the end of last season, a lot of rock-star names were brought up. But instead of those guys, the oft-struggling team decided to look to one of its former players, Mike Petke. After a difficult start, he has the Red Bulls ranked third in the Eastern Conference. As a player, Petke, now 37, was an MLS All Star and was known as a hard-nosed defender. As a coach, he's getting results — and turning heads with his sense of style. Not that this is unusual in soccer. Where NFL coaches have gone from the Southern gentility of Tom Landry and Dan Reeves to fat palookas in iridescent team gear, many European coaches — an Andre Villas-Boas or Roberto Mancini, say — aren't afraid to wrap a scarf just so or don a slim-cut suit. We caught up with the down-to-earth Long Island native and father of three to talk about his fashion choices.

Esquire.com: Do you think soccer coaches have a better sense of style than those in other sports?

Mike Petke: Being that soccer is a truly world sport, I definitely think that the fashion is on the cutting edge. You have coaches in the spotlight from so many different countries and cultures that there is a more of a global influence. So often, trends are set from a wide range of places, and because of this, I think soccer coaches are more in tune with fashion trends.

ESQ: What do you think of the way players in other sports — especially the NBA — dress themselves before and after games?

MP: One thing I would never do is comment on someone else's style. People express themselves in a number of different ways and fashion is a big outlet for that. There are certain looks that I'm not particularly fond of, but I'm sure there are many things that I wear that people aren't fond of as well. Fashion is a way to express yourself — so I can never place judgment on someone's style.

ESQ: And your guys? Do they have a dress code? Tell us, who's the most dapper?

MP: We do not have a dress code because I believe in players expressing themselves and feeling comfortable. While I feel everyone represents themselves with what they wear, I would have to say that Heath Pearce is not afraid to push the boundaries. I'm always curious about what Heath will show up wearing at a game.

ESQ: To look good in clothes, it helps to be fit. You look as if you can still be playing. What's your workout routine now that you're a coach? Do you work out with the team during training sessions? Or on your own?

MP: I'm somebody who chose to take time away from anything physical upon retiring and I really took that to heart! My workout program over the last five months consists of constant stress, massive amounts of coffee, and not eating after a bad team performance. However, I've had many opportunities to go out and play with the team, which I have taken.

ESQ: You were once quoted as saying you would never wear the team track suit on the sidelines during a game, which to us is commendable. Why were you so adamant about that?

MP: Like I said, it was not knocking anyone for wearing a track suit. It's just that I have a certain picture in my mind of how I want to represent myself and the track suit for me is far from it. I go back to the start of high school when I went from public school to Catholic school and all of a sudden, I had to wear the same thing every day because of the dress code. Many days after school, my mom would ask me to go to the store to get something and I found myself wearing the best clothes I had just to go get groceries. That was because I've always liked style — and wasn't able to do that in high school. I feel that in my mind, wearing a team track suit represents that same thing.

ESQ: Early in the season, when it was still cold, you didn't wear the knotted scarf a la Roberto Mancini, but you did wear the sweater vest and then the fitted cardigans with colored piping, which you pulled off really well. Where did those come from?

MP: Only Roberto Mancini can pull off that look! I believe he has it trademarked by now. I'm a huge fan of all music and genres. I noticed late in my college years, hip-hop was getting huge and I became a hip-hop fan along with a lot of other people. I remember a lot of rappers, from Puff Daddy to Mase to Russell Simmons, were wearing the sweater vests. Back then, I didn't think I could pull it off. It was a new look. But I've always had that idea in the back of my mind and I started wearing them a year-and-a-half ago. I asked my wife to try to find some unique sweater vests and while she wasn't a huge fan at first, I stayed true to my hip-hop roots and won her over eventually. Now to me, there's nothing like a sweater vest on a crisp afternoon.

ESQ: Do you have any favorite stores or designers?

MP: To be honest with you, I probably personally go shopping only once or twice a year. My wife and I will get a babysitter and instead of going out to dinner or drinks, we'll go designer shopping. But at least three times a week, my wife comes home with a couple of bags of clothes that she found for me. My wife attacks shopping like I attack tactics for our team. She usually brings me a bunch of clothes to try on and probably returns 90% of it. My game-day wardrobe is a three-step process. First, my wife brings home clothes that she likes. Second, I eliminate 75% of it. Third, we mutually collaborate on what we both like about certain things and come to an agreement. My wife is the only one I trust to provide an opinion on what I wear. One local designer in New Jersey that I've worked with for a while is Michael Duru Clothiers.

ESQ: With summer now in full swing, what will you be thinking about fashion-wise? I noticed you eschewed the tie not too long ago for a game on a brutally hot Saturday afternoon in New Jersey.

MP: Yes, my fashion coach — ie: wife — and I have spoken about this a lot but I'll definitely be wearing short sleeve dress shirts. The thing with me is I'm just as much about the quality of the fabric and how it feels on me as I am about how it looks. I need to be comfortable and able to move around while also not sacrificing my style.

Michael J. Agovino is the author of "The Bookmaker: A Memoir of Money, Luck, and Family From the Utopian Outskirts of New York City." His second book, "The Soccer Diaries," will be out in next spring.

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