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The Case for Dom Kinnear as the San Jose Earthquakes’ General Manager

If you ask most fans of the San Jose Earthquakes if they think current Head Coach Dom Kinnear should even be considered for the vacant general manager position, chances are the response would be forceful “No!” followed by a series of laughs and insults. But as San Jose seeks its next GM, the ideal candidate might just be the man calling the shots on game day.

The Case for Dom Kinnear

It fails to make sense at first. In his two years at the helm, San Jose has gone from a bad team (44 points at this time last year) to a worse team (37 points). All indications are that the Quakes will finish out of the playoffs, and could theoretically finish last in the West. The lack of progress since the 2012 Supporters’ Shield season was the catalyst for John Doyle’s firing last month, and could be the harbinger for Kinnear’s release in the off-season.

But there are several key reasons why Dom Kinnear should at the very least be considered for the vacant GM position in San Jose.

No More Excuses

Kinnear is the head coach, and he has had a few “free passes” for poor performances based upon player personnel which was out of his control. forward/DP Innocent hasn’t had any minutes and doesn’t appear to fit in Kinnear’s system, midfielder/DP Matias Perez Garcia found himself on the bench and traded to Orlando City SC, midfielder Leo Barrera was loaned out to Club Atlético San Martín, never to return. Is Kinnear completely to blame for Doyle’s player choice?

Giving Kinnear the control he needs to make his team work might be a good thing for a manager eager to prove he has what it takes to build a winning squad. He did manage to make midfielder Alberto Quintero, a second division Liga MX player, into a key part of the starting XI. Midfielder/DP Simon Dawkins–despite a dismal season–is in the midst of a two game goal streak. He also found ways to make a patchwork-at-best defensive line be able to hold its own against any other MLS club. The remedy for the Quakes coaching ails could be putting their head coach in control of all soccer operations.

Experience

In Houston, he was both the coach and head of soccer operations. He knows a thing or two about building (and destroying) a program, and that knowledge might be beneficial to rebuilding the Quakes in the post-Wondo era.

Also, interim GM Chris Leitch isn’t the man for the job (YET!). Players who go straight into the GM role too soon after their playing career (Alexi Lalas and John Doyle) have been a disaster for San Jose. Leitch would be a potential third player-turned-GM on which the Quakes have gambled, and fans are tired of seeing San Jose throwing dice, both on players and coaches. Leitch should develop and learn in the management role via the academy system. Until then, a candidate with more than a few years of soccer operations experience needs to be the primary qualification for hiring the new GM, which Kinnear has.

History

Like it or not, Kinnear has San Jose history, and that’s a good thing. Bringing in an outsider might completely blow up an already fragile Quakes franchise and alienate a divided Quakes fanbase. The fallout could even threaten the future of the franchise in San Jose for a second time. Kinnear knows what San Jose has, and should know how to fix it if given the opportunity to call the shots.

A Better GM?

No one will say Kinnear has had a great run over the past three years as coach, and perhaps the game has passed him by. If he were to assume the GM role, the opportunity could potentially be made for him to step down as the head coach and allow the team its fresh start with a new coach. And as a potential former coach, he would know the qualities to look for in a good MLS coach so that the right coach is hired in his stead. He would also be able to take his coaching knowledge and use it to find the right players for the team.

Who Else Is There?

Quakes’ president Dave Kaval spent time in Europe investigating and interviewing potential GM candidates. However, most candidates in Europe are not looking for soccer jobs in the United States; Europe is where the fame and fortune lie for players, coaches, and team executives. This leaves a very small pool of people from which to choose. Furthermore, would any of them really know how to work within MLS and its salary structures to rebuild the Quakes? Truth be told: Kinnear probably knows more about the program and how to turn it around given his experience in MLS and time with San Jose than most people on Kaval’s European short-list.

Even though the idea may seem ludicrous at first, there are actually several persuasive reasons why Dom Kinnear should be in consideration to replace John Doyle as the Earthquakes regular GM.

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