Steve Cooke (football coach)

Steve Cooke is an English football manager who was most recently head coach of USL Championship side OKC Energy FC. He is now Director of Soccer Development for Phoenix Rising FC.[1]

Early life

Cooke was born in Sheffield, the son of a steelworker and grandson of a coal miner. He played football in his youth, but was unable to pursue a professional career.[2]

Coaching career

At the age of 16, Cooke began studying to become a football coach, earning his coaching license and attending Carnegie College. He was hired by Sheffield Wednesday F.C. as a youth coach at the age of 22. He moved to the United States in 1996 to work for the Sereno SC and SC Del Sol youth clubs in Phoenix, Arizona.[2]

After a stint with a Las Vegas youth club from 2007 to 2010, Cooke was hired by the Colorado Rapids to coach in the development academy, as well as serving the senior team as an assistant coach under Oscar Pareja and Pablo Mastroeni beginning in 2014.[2] On 15 August 2017, the Rapids announced that they had parted ways with Mastroeni and named Cooke as interim coach through the end of the 2017 season.[3]

References
  1. "Steve Cooke Named Director of Soccer Development". Phoenix Rising Communications. 2 December 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  2. Meyer, John (22 August 2017). "Rapids interim head coach Steve Cooke shaped by his working-class background in England". The Denver Post. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
  3. Panizo, Franco (15 August 2017). "Colorado Rapids part ways with Pablo Mastroeni, Cooke named interim boss". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
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