The Seattle Sounders had big shoes to fill with the departure of assistant coach Andy Rose following the 2025 season.
With the culture and coaching standards the club upholds, Rose’s replacement would need to not only fit the Sounders mold, but also bring fresh tactical approaches that elevate the team.
The club found those qualities in new assistant coach Ricardo Clark.
While initially hired as Tacoma Defiance’s Head Coach, Rose’s move to LAFC opened up a spot on the First Team coaching staff, which was ultimately offered to Clark.
“I was looking for a new opportunity to grow, to sort of challenge myself, take myself out of my comfort zone, in addition to joining a club that kind of fit that for me, and Tacoma did that,” said Clark. “And then I'd say about late December is when the club approached me after Andy left, about filling the role. Call it timing, but it just seemed too perfect of an opportunity to pass up.”
2-Match Pack: Home Opener + Portland Match
Start the 2026 season strong with the Sounders’ 2-Match Pack! Get tickets to the Home Opener and the can’t-miss clash with the Portland Timbers. Lock in your seats now and bring the energy to two of the biggest matches of the year.
From having 17 years of experience playing in Europe with Bundesliga’s Eintracht Frankfurt and Norwegian side Stabæk, winning back-to-back MLS Cups with Houston Dynamo, and making 34 appearances with the U.S. Men’s National Team, Clark’s resume is as seasoned as it gets.
On the coaching side of the sport following his professional career, he’s had opportunities as an Academy coach with Houston Dynamo’s U-16 and U-19 teams, an Assistant Coach with the United States U-20 Men’s National Team and the Vancouver Whitecaps First Team, and a Head Coach for the Vancouver’s MLS NEXT side.
“He knows what it is to develop a player in the academy. He knows how to bridge that Academy player into the first team. He played at a high level, right, played in Europe, knows MLS very well, national team, so he understands the pillars of development,” said Assistant Coach Freddy Juarez. “And I think for me, that's what stood out the most. When he speaks, his opinions come from experiences. It isn't just a guess or a hope. He's experienced it as a player, as a coach.”
Bring the Noise
Enjoy the Rave Pack —a six-match offering filled with high-energy, high-stakes matches at Lumen Field. Open the 2026 home slate vs. Colorado, feel the heat of our biggest rivalry against Portland in the first MLS match after the FIFA World Cup break, and finish with a Saturday-night showdown vs. Eastern Conference foe CF Montrêal.
These ties with multiple leagues, clubs and playing styles provide Clark with a vast knowledge of the game — something the Sounders will be able to benefit from as the club looks ahead to the 2026 season.
“[He provides] new ideas. High level thinker. Great experience. I've already picked his brain on exercises and different presentations that he's had,” said Juarez. “So to me, that's exciting, because sometimes you get caught in doing some of the same [exercises] and it's always nice to get someone else's point of view of whether they like that or maybe adding their idea of something new.”
Clark’s presence will play a key role in the Sounders’ future, and he embraces the opportunity as a chance to further evolve and grow in his craft.
“I’ve been fortunate to work with different clubs and different levels,” said Clark. “I've had to adapt in every environment [and] I take that adaptation as great learning for me to hopefully develop as a coach, and then apply that coaching to help make the players better and environment better, and people around me better.”
