Dallas president and general manager Andy Swift has dismissed head coach Dave Dir, ending the tenure of the last man to have coached one team since MLS began play in 1996.

SOCCER AMERICA: Why did you feel the need to make this change at this time?

ANDY SWIFT: I don’t want to minimize what Dave has done. We’re only one of two teams to reach the playoffs all five years. But we also have to look at there are several teams that have reached the final and we haven’t done that.

SA: Isn’t this a gamble?

AS: It’s a risk, of course. With Dave, there was success here, that’s why it’s a risk. You have to make darn sure that you bring in somebody that will improve our performance.

It puts a huge amount of accountability on my shoulders. The easiest thing to do would be to leave it at that. To get to the pinnacle, sometimes you have to take risks.

SA: Since the Burn is run by the league, who approved this decision?

AS: I would lie if I said this didn’t require the league’s stamp of approval. They let me make the evaluation, and I had to present my reasons. I report directly to [MLS chief operating officer] Mark Abbott.

SA: What were the causes of a disappointing season?

AS: The fact we underachieved, the only finger can’t be pointed at Dave Dir. There were players that had subpar seasons, and [the] front office could have helped with certain moves.

In retrospect, I do think about if we’d have made this move or that move or I’d have pressed on this, would it have helped?

Injuries and national team call-ups shouldn’t be used as an excuse, but it should be noted as reasons why this team didn’t achieve what it could have achieved.

SA: Did the success of the MetroStars and Wizards in turning their seasons around increase the demands on other teams?

AS: It puts on more pressure from the fans, and it puts more pressure on me to see what they can do in Kansas City and New York. Yes, it factors in there.

We have to show the fans, too, we’re not going to be happy with just making the playoffs. We’re here to get to the final.

by Soccer America senior editor Ridge Mahoney.