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El Paso Locomotive FC team introduces new coach Brian Clarhaut
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- El Paso Locomotive FC team introduces new coach Brian Clarhaut
Coming to El Paso from Sundsvall, Sweden, represents quite a life change for anyone, even for a New Jersey native. But when the Locomotive began recruiting Brian Clarhaut to be their third coach and technical director, Clarhaut saw something that convinced him to make the 5,000-mile relocation.
"I came here to win," said Clarhaut, who was hired in mid-December and introduced to El Paso news media on Thursday, four days after moving in from eastern Sweden. "I cannot stress that enough. I came; I moved my family from Europe to come back home. I wasn't going to come to a place unless they can win and I truly believe that. ...
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"I looked at the brand of football they were playing; it was up my alley. Honest. I think you can win in this environment," he said. "It's a little bit different environment. My wife and I can have a new adventure here. When I met the organization, it all clicked: How this team plays, what they are about, that's the No. 1 thing.
The 36-year-old went to Sweden in 2016 after assistant coaching stints at NCAA powers Connecticut and Temple and spent the last part of that time in Europe as coach of first-division GIF Sundsvall .
When Clarhaut began looking at El Paso after being contacted by the Locomotive in late November, he saw a team that aesthetically appealed to him. The club missed the playoffs for the first time in its four-year existence last season, but Clarhaut felt they were close.
"I'm not going to just throw everything away and restart again from 2022 to 2023," said Clarhaut, who will get his first look at his new team on the pitch Feb. 4 in an exhibition at the MLS' Austin FC. "Part of the reason this job appealed to me, I think John (Hutchinson, the Locomotive coach last season) was a pretty good coach.
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"He had a good set up. He was setting up his principals to be successful in 2023. The Locomotive were No. 1 in possession in the USL, No. 1 in challenge intensity and No. 4 in PPDA (passes per defensive action). These principals are up my alley. I'm aligned to the philosophy.
"There are obviously going to be some things I put my niche on," he said. "We need to concede fewer goals. Maybe a little quicker play to get more goal-scoring opportunities, a little more aggressive in transition aspect of play. But again we're not starting from the ground up. The foundation is built; now we have to put the molding on the windows."
When Clarhaut began to meet with General Manager Andrew Forrest and Mountain Star President Alan Ledford, he was impressed with what the Locomotive offered beyond the pitch.
"It felt good for me personally, it felt good for my family personally and it felt good for me professionally," said Clarhaut, who is the Locomotive's first American manager and also the first who hasn't previously coached professionally in America.
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"This organization has an extremely high ambition to win games. I think they do things the right way, from the way we travel, the way we train to how marketing and owners work. It's been top class. I can't speak highly enough so far. It's been great since I've been here."
He also inherits a team that has some pieces who have been around awhile and he welcomes that.
"There are some mainstay pillars like Yuma and (Eder) Borelli who have been with the program extended years," Clarhaut said. "That's only positive. They know what the culture is like. I call them cultural architects in the locker room to set the standards for bringing new guys in.
"They have a sense of pride in being in El Paso and with this club, the Locomotive," he said. "It's a positive for me. It makes the job of the technical staff easier when you have guys who have made El Paso and the Locomotive their home."
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As for the fan base, Clarhaut had this to say: "We want to put out a brand of football they can be proud of, that will entertain. We will be proud of not only our city, but what we wear on our chest that reflects them.
"I'm excited to put out something these fans can be proud of weekly. We're here to win. We're going to compete, we're going to leave everything on the pitch."
That will begin in earnest when the Locomotive open the Clarhaut era with the March 11 USL opener at home against Sacramento Republic FC .
Bret Bloomquist may be reached at 915-546-6359; bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso Locomotive FC soccer team introduces new coach Brian Clarhaut
