CARSON, Calif. – Things have come “full circle” for new LA Galaxy head coach Sigi Schmid as he returns to "a club dear to his heart."
The Galaxy boss from 1999 to 2004 returned to the helm with the club on Thursday, replacing Curt Onalfo who was relieved of his duties. Schmid led the Galaxy to three titles (MLS Cup, CONCACAF Champions Cup, and Supporters’ Shield) during his tenure with the organization.
After coaching in Columbus and Seattle over the last several years, Schmid was thankful to make the return to Los Angeles.
“It means a lot [to rejoin the Galaxy]. It’s full circle. I remember my first interview with Phil Anschutz watching a Kings game and talking about the possibility to leave UCLA to come here,” Sigi Schmid told reporters after leading his first training session on Thursday. “I’m thankful to Phil and [former AEG President] Tim Leiweke who are the ones who brought me here. To come back and work under the organization under Chris Klein and Peter Vagenas as well as Dan Beckerman and Phil again is really exciting.”
But 12 years removed from his time at StubHub Center, Schmid believes that he’s changed in the right the right ways.
“I’m grayer for sure. I think over the years what happens is you let less things upset you. You’re more cerebral with things, but my passion and desire to win are still there,” Schmid said with a smirk. “I can still get emotional as well because it’s important to me and it’s important that the players know that it’s important to me. That part has never really changed. I’ll let my assistant coaches do a lot of the work. It’s important to me.”
