Sporting KC hires former Wizards assistant coach Brian Bliss as director of player personnel

Brian Bliss is returning to Kansas City.

Sporting KC named Bliss, a former Wizards player and longtime assistant coach, as its director of player personnel on Tuesday. He will serve in a player assessment role for Sporting KC, the Swope Park Rangers and the academy teams while also assisting in scouting under technical director Peter Vermes.

Bliss had been the Chicago Fire’s technical director for the past two seasons, and he was Chicago’s interim head coach for the final five matches of 2015.

“I’m excited to come back to Kansas City,” Bliss said in a news release. “Sporting KC has made tremendous strides over the last several years, and we have a great opportunity to continue that growth into the future.”

Bliss ended his MLS playing career with the Wizards in 1998 and was an assistant coach with the team from 2000 to 2006, during which Kansas City won one MLS Cup and one U.S. Open Cup. He was also the Wizards’ interim head coach for the last half of the 2006 season, finishing with a 4-4-6 record.

He later served as the technical director for the Columbus Crew for six seasons. The Crew won the MLS Cup in 2008.

Bliss played with Vermes on the U.S. men’s national team at the 1988 Olympics and 1990 World Cup

This story was originally published January 5, 2016 at 3:02 PM with the headline "Sporting KC hires former Wizards assistant coach Brian Bliss as director of player personnel."