[MLS] Scotsman Martin Rennie, who first came to the United States at the age 19 only to tear his knee on his first day with the Charlotte Eagles and returned at the age of 30 to coach the PDL's Cascade Surge in Oregon, has made the jump to MLS in only six years, landing the Vancouver Whitecaps head coaching job he'll take over in 2012 for interim coach Tom Soehn.

After his injury with Charlotte, Rennie returned to Scotland and played for a series of semi-pro teams before hurting his knee again and taking up coaching. At 26, he obtained the UEFA "A" badge and four years later moved to Oregon.

He then coached the Cleveland City Stars in the USL Second Division (third level) and has been the coach the last three years for the Carolina RailHawks, currently in first place in the NASL by a wide margin.

"We are thrilled to have Martin joining our club," said Whitecaps FC chief executive officer Paul Barber. "Martin is widely recognized as one of the top young coaches in North America, and has already experienced tremendous success in his coaching career. Martin possesses all the qualities we look for in a head coach and shares our club philosophy. We believe that our technical team, with Bob Lenarduzzi as president, Tommy Soehn as director of soccer operations, and Martin Rennie as head coach, will provide us with the experience and resources to be a successful club on and off the pitch."

Soehn took over for Teitur Thordarson at the end of May and will remain interim head coach until the end of the 2011 season when he will go back to his work as director of soccer operations, the job he has held since joining the Whitecaps in 2009.