Robin Fraser


Robin Fraser is an American soccer coach and former player. He is currently 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.
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 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 a 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, 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 in the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft. Fraser played five seasons with Galaxy, and was named to the league's Best XI four times, 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. Although his career was considered to be on the downslide during his time with the Rapids, he anchored the Crew defense in 2004, and was once again considered one of the best at 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.

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 July 6, 2001.

Coaching career

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.
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. During the off-season, he was named as an assistant coach for the New York Red Bulls under new head coach Mike Petke.
After two season in New York, Fraser moved to Toronto FC where he would act 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.
On August 25, 2019, Fraser became the head coach for Colorado Rapids, following the dismissal of then intern head coach Conor Casey.

Coaching statistics

Honors

Player