Dallas Burn head coach Dave Dir, the only coach with the same team for all five MLS seasons, has been relieved of his duties. Dir is the second MLS coach ousted this week. Tim Hankinson’s option was not picked up by Tampa Bay. Dir guided the Burn to an 81-75-4 record over his five years at the helm. Under Dir, Dallas qualified for the playoffs all five years, compiling a 6-11 record in playoff games. The Burn, one of the preseason favorites to win the MLS Cup this year, finished third in the Central Division with a 14-14-4 record and was swept in two games by the MetroStars in the first round of the playoffs. “This was an extremely difficult decision,” said Burn President and General Manager Andy Swift. “Coach Dir has guided this team to the playoffs all five years and led us to a U.S. Open Cup Championship. After five years, however, I feel that in order to get to the next level in MLS, a change in direction is necessary at this point.” A search for a new head coach will begin immediately. In the interim, assistant coaches Ed Puskarich and Oscar Pisano will lead the team’s mini-camp, which begins next Monday. As part of the Burn’s offseason mini-camp, the team will travel to Guadalajara, Mexico, Nov. 2-9.