Former Wanderers head coach Patrice Gheisar joins League1 Ontario side Scrosoppi FC

Former Halifax Wanderers head coach Patrice Gheisar is back in the coaching ranks as he was announced as the director of football operations and men's head coach for League1 Ontario side Scrosoppi FC on Tuesday.

Previously, it was announced in October — a mere 48-hours after a heartbreaking shootout loss to York United FC (now Inter Toronto) — that he'd not have his contract renewed by the Wanderers following three seasons at the helm. He left Halifax with a record of 29W-31-L-23D.

Now, the 50-year old head coach returns to League1 Ontario, a league he'd won before as the head coach of Vaughan Azzurri. He led Vaughan to back-to-back undefeated seasons in 2021 and 2022 and was later named coach of the year after winning the league championship.

"After speaking to Scrosoppi and understanding their vision, I saw enormous potential which really attracted me to this role," Gheisar said in a press release.

"I'm grateful for everything that Vaughan Azzurri gave me personally and professionally and for the trust Halifax showed me to lead their CPL team. I'm hoping to bring similar success I had at these organizations to Scrosoppi, who are giving me the opportunity to tackle a new role in (football)."

Previously, Gheisar spent time with York University Lions, SC Toronto and Ryerson University Rams.

Shayne Griffin, Scrosoppi's executive director, said Gheisar's already made an impact with his passion and work ethic.

"His passion for the game, his belief in building a strong, values-driven culture and his football intelligence is exactly what we stand for," he said.

"The future of Scrosoppi FC is in outstanding hands."

Cover Photo Credit: Trevor MacMillan / Halifax Wanderers FC