VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced on Thursday that Ricardo Clark has been named head coach of the club’s MLS NEXT Pro team, Whitecaps FC 2, with Nick Dasovic becoming Whitecaps FC BMO Academy high potential player (HPP) head coach.
“We believe that these changes within our staffing team will help enhance our high-performance player pathway,” said Axel Schuster, Whitecaps FC sporting director. “When Ricardo joined our club in 2021, his role included a focus on the development and progression of our young players, and this will be a great opportunity for him to take the next step in his coaching career. We are also thankful to have Nick continuing to play a key role in our development structure, as he brings an abundance of experience and knowledge.”
Clark joined Whitecaps FC as a first team assistant coach ahead of the 2021 MLS season. Prior to his time in Vancouver, he worked as interim head coach with the Dynamo’s U-19 academy team and previously as head coach with the U-16 team. Clark was also an assistant coach with the United States U-20 men’s national team. The native of Atlanta, Georgia is currently completing his United States Soccer Federation (USSF) Pro License.
During his 17-year playing career, Clark won MLS Cups with Houston in 2006 and 2007, was named an All-Star in 2006, 2007, and 2008, and to the MLS Best XI in 2006. He also spent time playing in Europe with Germany’s Eintracht Frankfurt and Norway’s Stabæk. At the international level, Clark made 34 appearances with three goals scored for the United States men’s national team, including two appearances at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Clark moves into his new role after spending the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the first team. Last month, Florian Jungwirth joined head coach Vanni Sartini’s first team staff along with assistant coach Michael D’Agostino, goalkeeper coach Youssef Dahha, and video analyst Andrew Foster.
As HPP head coach, Dasovic will work with players in the MLS Academy and across the Whitecaps FC BMO Academy System, supporting the overall academy identification and player recruitment strategy.
Holding a Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Pro Licence, the former Canadian international was hired in 2019 as head coach of the club’s Development Squad and previously worked with the U-19 academy team before leading Whitecaps FC 2 in their inaugural season in MLS NEXT Pro last year.
The native of Vancouver, BC, was previously an assistant coach with Toronto FC, San Jose Earthquakes, Simon Fraser University, and Canada’s men’s national team programs, and interim head coach for Toronto FC in 2010, head coach of Canada’s U-23 national team in 2008, and head coach of Canada U-20 national team from 2011 to 2013.
As a member of the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame, Dasovic played six seasons with Vancouver 86ers and Whitecaps FC. His playing career also included stops in Croatia, France, Sweden and Scotland.
