San Jose Earthquakes fire coach Dominic Kinnear, promote ex-player Chris Leitch

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — The San Jose Earthquakes have fired coach Dominic Kinnear and assistant John Spencer, naming former player Chris Leitch the replacement head coach.

Alex Covelo also was hired as an assistant coach, the team said Sunday in making the announcement. Assistant coach Steve Ralston and goalkeeper coach Tim Hanley were retained.

Kinnear was hired in 2015 — when San Jose opened its new state-of-the-art, soccer-only Avaya Stadium — for his second stint coaching the Quakes after also directing the club from 2004-05, compiling a combined record of 54-45-48. The Earthquakes currently hold the fifth-place spot in the Western Conference, which would qualify the team for the playoffs if the season ended today.

The 38-year-old Leitch retired from the team following the 2011 season and has been working in various capacities, promoted to technical director In 2014. He was the interim general manager last year after the dismissal of John Doyle. Leitch played Major League Soccer from 2002-11, playing with the New York Red Bulls before signing with the Quakes in 2009 and playing 58 matches with the franchise.

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