Head coach of Serbian U-16, and year before that I was Head coach of Serbia U-15 National team. In the same time I was Pauno’s assistant with U 18-19-20.
CHICAGO (Jan. 9, 2018) – The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced Tuesday that the club has re-signed assistant coaches Marko Mitrovic and Eric Gehrig, along with goalkeeper coach Aleksandar Saric for the 2018 season.
Mitrovic joined the Fire prior to the start of the 2016 season after time spent as head coach of the Serbian Under-15 and Under-16 teams and serving as an assistant to Fire head coach Veljko Paunovic for Serbia’s run to the 2015 FIFA Under-20 World Cup title. A native of Belgrade, Serbia, Mitrovic holds a UEFA A license and serves as a UEFA Official Lecturer for both the A and B coaching licensing courses. He began his coaching career in June 2010, serving as the first assistant for FK Banat in the Serbian First Division. In 2013, Mitrovic took over as the head coach of the Red Star Belgrade Under-16 side and led them to first place in their division for the 2013-14 season. In August of 2012, Mitrovic joined the Football Association of Serbia as the first assistant to the U-18, U-19 and U-20 youth sides. A midfielder by trade, Mitrovic’s professional career spanned 14 years and included stops in the top flight in Serbia, Hungary, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
Gehrig will return for his second year as assistant coach and most recently earned his USSF B license. The former Fire defender joined Paunovic’s staff in 2017 after retiring from a professional career that spanned six seasons. The Harvey, Ill. born defender joined the Fire on Dec. 10, 2014 in a trade with Orlando City SC, who had acquired his rights in the MLS Expansion Draft. The 2015 Fire Defensive Player of the Year, Gehrig appeared in 30 games and tallied one assist in regular season matches for the Men in Red from 2015-16. Gehrig began his professional career when he joined Columbus Crew SC as a Discovery Signing prior to the start of the 2011 season. Gehrig appeared in a total of 46 regular season matches for the Black & Gold, and also made two postseason appearances. A four-year standout at Loyola University Chicago, Gehrig was also a member of the Fire PDL squad that reached the PDL Championship game in 2009.
Entering his third season with the Fire, Saric also served with Paunovic on the Serbian U-20 coaching staff. Under Saric’s tutelage, Serbia earned three shutouts and conceded just four goals in seven games in their title run. Saric’s coaching career includes stints with FC Arema of the Indonesian Super League, Dunajska Streda of the Slovakian Premier League, SC Varzim of the Portuguese Segunda Liga and Austria’s SC Austria Lustenau. Saric’s 24-year professional playing career began in 1986 with FK Crvena Zvezda of the Serbian SuperLiga and included stops in Germany, Portugal, Israel, Romania, Austria and Slovakia. Saric holds his UEFA A coaching license and is also a licensed goalkeeper coach by the Spanish and Austrian football federations.
Rounding out the soccer operations staff are senior director of soccer operations Eddie Rock, senior manager of team and soccer operations Alex Boler, head scout Matt Pearson, video analyst Nenad Babic, head athletic trainer Steven Purcell, assistant athletic trainer Reade Whitney, licensed massage therapist Steven Burrows, equipment manager Brian Sauer and assistant equipment manager Juan Arreola.
2018 will serve as the first full season with the Fire for Rock and Burrows.
Strength and conditioning coach Raphael Fevre will not return for the 2018 season and a successor will be named soon.
