FC Buffalo Head Coach Brendan Murphy and assistant coaches Bob Roach and Pat Pidgeon have tendered their resignations to the club effective immediately.
Statement from Coach Murphy:
“I have made the difficult decision to step away from my position as head coach of FC Buffalo in order to accept an offer to join the coaching staff of the Rochester Rhinos of the USL. I have spent the past four years pouring my heart and soul into FC Buffalo and it makes this decision tougher than I expected. I am grateful to Bob Lilley for providing me the opportunity to join one of the elite franchises in the United Soccer League and to learn from one of the best coaches in the country.
Thank you to Bob Roach who has been so much more than an assistant coach. We came into this job together in 2013 and you have completely immersed yourself in everything we have done here. I cannot express my gratitude for your loyalty and commitment to this project enough. I’d also like to thank Pat Pidgeon for his work last season as our goalkeeper coach. You have a bright future as a coach and we were lucky to have you on our side for this last year.
Thank you to Scott Frauenhofer, Nick Mendola, Ray Siminski, Josh Batten, Donny Kutzbach and Brent Garner for granting me the opportunity to lead this club four years ago. I appreciate your trust in me. I want to especially thank Scott. He has always done the little things that don’t get a lot of attention but are essential to keeping us afloat.
Thank you to all of the players who have worn the jersey over the years. I have learned from every one of you and you have made me a better coach.
Special thank you to my wife who has lived the joys and challenges of this journey with me every day. It has been a heartwarming experience to watch our kids grow up on the sidelines of FC Buffalo games with you.
Thank you to my parents who have been at nearly every game I have ever played in or coached in my life. The depth of my appreciation for you is something I cannot express in words.
To my extended family who came from all over the country to rally around this team, I am humbled by your support.
To the fans and the TSR who have shown this club so much love, I will never forget your chants, cheers and songs. They will be ringing in my ears no matter where I go.
I want to wish the entire FC Buffalo family continued success and I am excited to see what the future holds.
It has been an honor to serve you for the last four years and I will be forever grateful “For Our City.””
Statement from Coach Roach:
“It is with mixed emotions that I join Coach Murphy in leaving FC Buffalo.
First, I’d like to publicly congratulate my good friend, Brendan Murphy. It’s been an honor working with you these last few years. I’ve learned an incredible amount and I’m thankful for the opportunity you gave me to be your assistant. I will miss the road trips, phone calls, and banter that accompanied this project. I consider you to be a loyal and incredible friend and I know you’ll be successful in Rochester.
I’d also like to thank Scott Frauenhofer, not only for hiring me, but for his friendship and dedication to this club. His work ethic is unparalleled and his support of the coaching staff has always been positive. He’s done an incredible job in his role as jack-of-all-trades. People don’t understand the work that goes on behind the scenes. If that were possible, everyone would know that Scott is the engine that drives this club. I will miss working with you.
I’d also like to thank my family, especially my wife and children, for allowing me to spend so much time on this project. The biggest thing I will miss about coaching for FC Buffalo is looking over my shoulder right before kickoff and seeing my 5 year old son screaming, “Oh yeah! For our city!”
We’ve worked with some wonderful players: Andrew Coughlin, Bobby Ross, Nick Garcia, Jake Rinow, Adam Lauko, Asani Samuels, Russell Cicerone, Liam Callahan, Andrew Bednarsky, Kevin Kappock, Kendell McFayden, Jeff Thomas, Ian Mort, Andrew Ferguson, Matthew Ferguson, Julian Ekeze, Connor Willings, Josh Beshaw, Bayley Winkel, Ian McGrath, Keith Traut, Brian Paredes, Isaiah Barrett, and Regan Steele, to name a few. A recent addition to our staff, Pat Pigeon, also deserves recognition. Pat is a class act and I wish we’d met years ago.
I’d like to give a special thanks to Chris Walter, who has played more games than any other player in club history. No one played more minutes for us than Chris Walter, and no one played harder. I’m proud that you’ve become our captain and appreciative of the fire you brought to the field during our time with the club. Thank you for challenging us to be better coaches and thank you for challenging your teammates to match your level.
To the Situation Room and the rest of the fans: you’re amazing. Your support was unwavering and we loved every minute of being in front of you.
The club is certainly changing. With the right management group, staff, and players, I’m certain a championship will arrive in Buffalo. I hope to be there to sing, “We are, for our city!” when it happens.”
