We talked last week about Toronto FC going after former New England Revolution assistant Paul Mariner, well it looks like he may not be the head coach after all, instead he will be the new technical director of the club. Now reports are saying Toronto FC will hire former Dutch midfielder Aron Winter as their new head coach.

There are some conflicting reports though on this rumor. Some reports like the one above say Winter is the head coach and Mariner is the technical director. While others are saying Mariner is the head coach and Winter is the technical director. Most signs however seem to indicate Winter is the new head coach however.

No matter which way this plays out Toronto is set to really get a positive facelift. Mariner is an excellent judge of talent and would be a nice fit for the TD or for the head coaching position while Winter brings a different approach to the game that will certainly be a change of pace in Toronto from the past. Toronto has needed someone like Mariner to evaluate talent from things like the SuperDraft and beyond. He’s seen as one of the biggest reasons why New England went to three straight MLS Cups a few years back.

Winter comes from the Ajax system which is world renowned for its development building tactics. The no MLS experience is a negative but having Mariner with him will certainly help him navigate the tricky waters that come with this league. Kudos to Toronto’s front office for being able to pull off a move like this too.

Once we hear an official word about how this will all play out we’ll let you know. Either way you spin it Toronto already looks to be on the right path here to get into the playoffs for the first time since joining MLS a few years ago.

What do you all make of the Winter-Mariner combo in Toronto? Think it will help TFC get to the playoffs or will it be just another failed attempt by the club to do something they think is the right thing?

One thing is certain, this winter has been crazy in Toronto. So far there has been the somewhat annual coaching search, the Dwayne De Rosario saga and a overall lack of identity surrounding the club.

But all of that could change for the better if they are able to cross one of those items off their list soon enough. Canadian Soccer News is reporting that the club could be setting their sights on former New England Revolution assistant manager Paul Mariner for their coaching opening.

CSN’s sources say Mariner is Toronto’s top target for the coaching vacancy. Mariner has left his post at England’s Plymouth Argyle and could join the club before next week’s MLS Combine or by mid-January at the latest. He will likely be under current interim GM Eric Cochrane, who looks to be getting promoted to the full time post. Cochrane will likely take a more administrative role as GM of TFC and will also handle the day-to-day operations. Mariner would end up handling the first team resources according to CSN.

Mariner was always thought to be a future MLS coach while in New England under Steve Nicol. Instead he left to England a couple years ago in hopes to lead a struggling Plymouth side out of the lower leagues.

Landing someone like Mariner would be a huge win for the Canadian side who have struggled at developing young talent on their roster (note, that comment doesn’t include their academy players). Some thought Mariner was always the one with the eye for the young talent while in New England. If you believe that then just look no further at the Revs drafts over the years and who they were able to develop into big time talents (names like Clint Dempsey and Michael Parkhurst come to mind).

They need to make a decision before the SuperDraft in my mind. If not they could struggle to draft yet again this year. Remember last year when they traded away most of their picks? Their first selection in the second round was a player that unfortunately for them never played a minute due to a health condition. Mariner would certainly change that by drafting smart like he helped do in New England.

Mariner told the Arizona Republic recently he is interested in the position.

Sounders FC is an MLS expansion team set to play next season. Mariner also told the Arizona Republic he interviewed for the head job with the Chicago Fire earlier this year.

“If [becoming an MLS head coach] doesn’t happen, I’ll probably stay with [Steve Nicol], and then move on and work in Asia in media and coach,” Mariner told the newspaper.

Mariner joins the rumors of Sigi Schmid and current Seattle Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer for the expansion club’s opening. I have also heard they were interested in former Colorado head coach Fernando Clavijo.

So on one hand you have Schmetzer and the other now Mariner. I think either one is a perfect fit for the club. Mariner is a head coach in the waiting for the most part. He’s been waiting on the right situation and an expansion club is just that I believe. If he doesn’t take this job in Seattle I look for him to wait it out until one of the 2011 expansion clubs. For some reason I just don’t see him going to Philadelphia.

My feels are still that Schmetzer will stay on board with the club as it’s coach once they move into the big league.

Lots of names will float out there and with 11 games left on the menu for the Galaxy I am beginning to wonder if the Galaxy will just hold on to interim coach Cobi Jones for the rest of the year. Would it really work out to bring in a coach this late in the year to take over? I think the smart answer is no. But with the way AEG wants to bring in the money I have a feeling they may push hard for a quick change here in the coming week. Even Jones has said he has the club for the next game and that’s all he’s been told about the timetable here.

Though if they do the smart thing and give Jones the time for the rest of the year, that will allow themselves to get the coach they all want for this club.

SO who exactly will be on that short list of coaches that the Galaxy could be looking at here?

• Peter Nowak – Most people believe Nowak will be the top choice for this position. For good reasons too. He knows the MLS. He knows how to handle veteran players. He also works well with young players (the Galaxy has plenty of them). The former Polish international player has won MLS championships as a player with the Chicago Fire and as the coach of D.C. United. The drawbacks right now seem to just be his current situation with the US National team. Word has it he loves where he’s at right now. The only thing they could possible do to lure Nowak away from that situation is to throw some crazy money at him (which they have).
• Bruce Arena – I discussed this a couple days ago. Some will be quick to put him on the list because of his desire to prove himself again in the league after a disastrous time in New York. Plus the guy has won time and time again in this league and knows how to develop players well. I have a feeling though he will wait another year and come on board with Philadelphia in 2010 though.
• Paul Mariner – The current New England assistant has been the hot assistant that everyone talks about for a while now. He wants a chance to coach a club but he also isn’t for leaving Boston anytime soon. Again, it will take a big contract to get him out of a great situation with the Revs. Plus there is a feeling that he will be the top candidate for the Seattle job next year. Its always better to start from scratch than to try and fix a four-year mess.
• John Spencer – Another top assistant that has been rumored with many clubs over the last couple years. I have a feeling if they wait and decide they want Spencer, they will end up in a bidding war with Colorado for him. Though Colorado has no chance if it comes to that. Plus there is the fact that AEG also pays his salary in Houston so a move to a “sister club” wouldn’t be too hard of a thing to do.
• Sigi Schmid – Yeah, believe it or not his name is being thrown out there for this opening. Would he return to LA? I wouldn’t hold my breath for it. Since the Galaxy fired him back in 2004, the club has pretty much gone down hill. Schmid went to Columbus and has rebuilt that club into a real winner. I think it would take a lot for him to go back to LA too, and pretty much he would need to get fired by Columbus to do so. Something I don’t see happening.
• Cobi Jones – Promote from within? It would be a great choice but most feel Jones needs more time and experience as an assistant before he moves into a head coaching role.

Who else is out there that deserves a look?