ST PETERSBURG, Pa. — The Tampa Bay Rowdies officially have a new head coach after the St. Petersburg-based soccer team signed Robbie Neilson to a multi-year contract.
The 43-year-old is going to be calling the Tampa Bay area his home after coaching more than 350 matches during his time at Heart of Midlothian and Dundee United F.C. in the Scottish Premiership and England’s MK Dons FC, the team explains online.
“We are proud to bring a coach of Robbie’s caliber here to Tampa Bay to lead the Rowdies,” Rowdies Vice Chairman Brian Auld said in a statement. “Throughout his career, Robbie has shown the ability to get results at a high level and take teams under his leadership to new heights.
"We believe Robbie’s passion and drive matches our ambitions to continually improve on and off the field, which makes him a perfect fit for the Rowdies.”
Neilson achieved the highest winning percentage of any head coach in the history of Hearts and Dundee United clubs – racking up 58.8% of wins for his matches at Hearts and 57.1% for Dundee United, according to the team.
The new head coach said he's grateful for the opportunity to help the club continue its development.
“It’s truly a great setup for soccer here in Tampa Bay. There is a great training ground and all the facilities you need for the team to continue to progress and be successful," Neilson said in a statement. "A big thing for me making the decision to come here is the good people already in place. That is so important at any soccer club. There’s a real positivity here and there’s an ambition to continue to be successful.
"We’ve got a fantastic squad and now it’s about adding a bit more quality and energy to get it to the next level.”
Nicky Law, who was in the head coach position before Neilson's hire, will now transition into an assistant coaching role with the club.