(Chicago) A coach well known to the Montreal public will lead Major League Soccer next season. But it won’t be CF Montreal.

The Chicago Fire announced that they had offered Frank Klopas their full-time head coaching position on Tuesday. This will be his second time managing the Fire full-time, having held the role on an interim basis on three occasions – including the final 24 games of the last campaign.

The 57-year-old American then succeeded Ezra Hendrickson, who was fired at the beginning of May.

“We conducted an extensive process with many highly qualified candidates and we believe that Frank Klopas is the right person to lead the team,” Fire sporting director Georg Heitz said in a statement.

“Right now, I believe the best way to help the team achieve its goals is by being on the sidelines,” Klopas said.

Klopas, who led the Montreal team in MLS from December 18, 2013 to August 30, 2015, previously held an assistant coaching position with the Illinois team since January 14, 2020.

Klopas has compiled a career regular season record of 49-43-29 at the helm of the Fire, and he currently ranks third in winning percentage among coaches in franchise history.