Robin Fraser
Personal information
Date of birth (1966-12-17) December 17, 1966
Place of birth Kingston, Jamaica
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Colorado Rapids (head coach)
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1985–1988 FIU Golden Panthers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1988–1989 Miami Sharks
1990–1995 Colorado Foxes 93 (6)
1996–2000 Los Angeles Galaxy 129 (1)
2001–2003 Colorado Rapids 74 (0)
2004–2005 Columbus Crew 57 (0)
Total 353+ (7+)
International career
1988–2001 United States 27 (0)
Managerial career
2007–2011 Real Salt Lake (assistant)
2011–2012 Chivas USA
2013–2014 New York Red Bulls (assistant)
2015–2019 Toronto FC (assistant)
2019–2023 Colorado Rapids
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Robin Fraser (born December 17, 1966) is an American soccer coach and former player. He was most recently the head coach of Major League Soccer club Colorado Rapids. Fraser was formerly an assistant coach for Real Salt Lake, New York Red Bulls, and Toronto FC, and was the head coach of Chivas USA for two seasons.

A former defender, Fraser played six seasons in the American Professional Soccer League and ten in Major League Soccer. He earned 27 caps with the United States men's national soccer team between 1988 and 2001.

Youth and college

Fraser was born in Jamaica and grew up in Miami, Florida where he played soccer at Miami Palmetto High School. He played college soccer at Florida International University from 1984 to 1988, leading the team to an NCAA Division II Championship as a freshman. After the team moved to Division I before the 1987 season, he was recognized as a 1987 and 1988 second-team All-American,[1][2] and was a finalist for the Hermann Trophy as a senior.

Playing career

Professional

In 1988, Fraser signed with the Miami Sharks in the American Soccer League. He played two seasons with the Sharks. In 1990, he moved to the Colorado Foxes of the American Professional Soccer League, for whom he played from 1990 to 1995. While with the Foxes, Fraser was named an APSL All-Star four straight years, from 1992 to his final season in 1995.

When Major League Soccer was created, he was the Los Angeles Galaxy's first selection (fourth overall) in the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft. Fraser played five seasons with Galaxy, and was named to the league's Best XI four times (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000), and was named MLS Defender of the Year in 1999.

Fraser was traded to the Colorado Rapids in a salary-cap-related move before the 2001 season. He spent three years in Colorado, before being traded to the Columbus Crew for two draft picks. Fraser anchored the Crew defense in 2004, and was once again considered one of the best in MLS at the position, winning his second Defender of the Year award and being named to his fifth Best XI while captaining the Crew to the Supporters' Shield. During the 2003 and 2004 season, Fraser helped mentor two of MLS's most promising young defenders, Nat Borchers and Chad Marshall. Never a big scorer, Fraser only scored one regular season and one playoff goal in his entire MLS career. He retired after the 2005 season.[3]

Fraser was honored as one of The 25 Greatest players in MLS history on December 10, 2020.[4]

International

Although Fraser was born in Jamaica, he chose to represent the United States at the international level, after becoming a citizen in June 1986. He made his debut against Chile on June 1, 1988, and amassed 27 caps. His last came in a scoreless tie with Ecuador on June 7, 2001.

Coaching career

Early Career & Chivas USA

During the late 90s, Robin Fraser and Greg Vanney co-coached a local girls soccer club in Los Angeles California known as the Santa Anita Soccer Club or SASC. In 2007, Real Salt Lake hired Fraser as a third assistant coach. On January 4, 2011, Fraser was hired as the new head coach of Chivas USA, becoming the team's sixth coach in seven years.[5]

Fraser was dismissed by Chivas after a two-year run saw him post a 15–32–21 record, including a 14-match winless streak in his second season.[6] During the off-season, he was named as an assistant coach for the New York Red Bulls under new head coach Mike Petke.[7]

After two season in New York, Fraser moved to Toronto FC, where served as assistant coach alongside head coach Greg Vanney. The two previously had worked together with Chivas USA, albeit in reversed roles, with Fraser the head man and Vanney working underneath him.[8]

Colorado Rapids

On August 25, 2019, Fraser became the head coach for Colorado Rapids, following the dismissal of then intern head coach Conor Casey. The Rapids won their first three games under Fraser and won five of their last seven to close 2019 just shy of the playoffs.[9] Colorado ended the season tied for the third-most goals scored in MLS with 58, the club's highest total since scoring 62 in 1998.[10]

The Rapids' offensive growth continued in 2020. Colorado scored 32 goals in 18 games. The Rapids' 1.78 goals per game ranked sixth in MLS. Colorado posted a positive goal differential for the first time since 2016.[11] On Sep 12, Colorado defeated Real Salt Lake, 5–0, earning its first ever win at Rio Tinto Stadium and reclaiming the Rocky Mountain Cup.[12] The win also marked the Rapids' largest margin of victory ever, which they would match three games later in a 5–0 win over San Jose Earthquakes.[13] Fraser led Colorado on a three-game winning streak, the second of his Rapids tenure, to close out the regular season and clinch a berth in the Audi 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs as the fifth seed in the Western Conference.[14] Fraser posted the best 25-game start of any Rapids head coach in history, scoring 47 goals, winning 13 games and earning 43 points, which are the most by a Rapids head coach since the introduction of draws to MLS In 2000.[15]

On March 23, 2022, the Rapids announced that Fraser had signed a new contract with the team, extending his tenure through the 2025 season.[16]

Coaching statistics

As of match played September 2, 2023[17]
Coaching record by team and tenure
Team Nat From To Record Ref
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
Chivas USA United States January 4, 2011 November 9, 2012 73 18 21 34 71 109 −38 024.66 [18]
Colorado Rapids United States August 25, 2019 September 5, 2023 129 46 34 49 170 186 −16 035.66 [19]
Total 202 64 55 83 241 295 −54 031.68

Honors

Player

Assistant coach

Individual

References

  1. ↑ 1987 All American
  2. ↑ "1988 All American". Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2009.
  3. ↑ mlssoccer. "MLS original Robin Fraser retires". MLSsoccer.com. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  4. ↑ "The 25 Greatest".
  5. ↑ RSL welcomes Fraser as assistant coach
  6. ↑ "Chivas part ways with Fraser as restructuring continues". MLS. November 9, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Red Bulls Name Robin Fraser Assistant Coach". MLS. January 30, 2013. Archived from the original on February 10, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Toronto FC announce hiring of ex-New York Red Bulls staffer Robin Fraser as assistant coach | MLSsoccer.com". Archived from the original on January 11, 2015. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
  9. ↑ "MLS Results Map 2019".
  10. ↑ "Colorado Rapids 2019 Season By The Numbers".
  11. ↑ "In 2020, Colorado Rapids Took Steps Toward Future Success".
  12. ↑ "Youth on Display in Dominant Win Over RSL".
  13. ↑ "MLS Match Center".
  14. ↑ "MLS Match Center".
  15. ↑ "In 2020, the Colorado Rapids Set Foundation for 2021 Success".
  16. ↑ "Colorado Rapids sign head coach Robin Fraser to multi-year extension". MLSsoccer.com.com. March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Robin Fraser career sheet". footballdatabase. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Chivas USA: Matches". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  19. ↑ "Colorado Rapids: Matches". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  20. ↑ "1998 MLS All-Star Game". MLSsoccer.com. August 2, 1998. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  21. ↑ "1999 MLS All-Star Game". MLSsoccer.com. July 17, 1999. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  22. ↑ "2000 MLS All-Star Game". MLSsoccer.com. July 29, 2000. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  23. 1 2 "2022 Fact & Record Book". Major League Soccer. January 2023. p. 184. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
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