Interim no more: Sounders name Schmetzer head coach

The Seattle Sounders announced Wednesday that Brian Schmetzer will be the club's head coach for the 2017 season, dropping his interim label.

Schmetzer, a long-serving member of the organization and assistant to Sigi Schmid, took over on an interim basis at the end of July after the Sounders endured a string of poor results that ultimately cost Schmid his job.

Under Schmetzer's tutelage, the Sounders regained their composure and pushed their way into the 2016 postseason, a turnaround that team owner Adrian Hanauer said helped make the decision to keep him on full-time much easier.

"We are extremely pleased to announce Brian as the head coach of Seattle Sounders FC," Hanauer said in a statement. "His connection to this city and club goes back decades, long before I hired him to manage the USL Sounders in 2002.

"He has always been an incredible steward of the organization and ambassador for our club in the community, and what he and the team have accomplished on the field over the past three months is worthy of recognition.

"With that sentiment in mind, we look forward to seeing him continue his great work this season and beyond."

The Sounders are in the midst of a playoff run, having beaten FC Dallas 3-0 in the first leg of the Western Conference Semifinals. Schmetzer, 54, said the club's turnaround season is a testament to his players.

"I believe in the fact that for our players, this is their team, and they have responded by taking complete ownership of the season and driving us into the playoffs," Schmetzer said. "I give them full credit for that, but our work isn’t finished yet. My goal is to make sure we can all enjoy this ride a little longer deep into the postseason."