Steven Beitashour returns to Toronto FC, joins TFC coaching staff

Walking the Red – TORONTO, Toronto FC are getting the MLS Cup-winning band back together!

Club captain Jonathan Osorio, of course, was on the roster in the 2017 treble-winning year. So was current general manager Jason Hernandez, who was a Reds defender at the time. Technical director Sean Rubio was previously on the front office staff in the team’s most successful era, too.

In recent months, they have brought back the 2017 team’s crown jewel, Sebastian Giovinco, as a new special advisor and official club ambassador and have also appointed Greg Vanney’s former assistant Robin Fraser as head coach.

Now, we know that another MLS Cup winner is back at BMO Field.

Former right-back and fan favourite Steven Beitashour has been named as an assistant coach to Fraser, MLSE CEO Keith Pelley and Hernandez told season ticket holders at an event on Thursday night. The club had not yet made it official at the time of writing.

Beitashour was traded to Toronto FC during the 2015–16 offseason. In total, he played 68 games for the club across two seasons, providing six assists, including one for Benoit Cheyrou’s extra time goal that put TFC ahead in the iconic 5-2 win over Montreal at BMO Field and ultimately secured the Eastern Conference title during the 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs.

He missed just six of TFC’s 40 MLS regular season and playoff games during his first year at the club. Although a pancreatic problem saw him miss a chunk of the 2017 season, he started every single one of TFC’s postseaosn games in the back-to-back runs to MLS Cup in 2016 and 2017, including going the full 90 in both legs of the Eastern Conference final and the MLS Cup win over Seattle Sounders in 2017. He also didn’t miss a single minute of the Canadian Championship win over Montreal over two legs in the same year.

Now, he’s back to help support his former assistant coach Fraser and his former teammates Hernandez and Giovinco behind the scenes.

Welcome back, Beita!