Rochester Rhinos

History

The team was founded in 1996 and played in the now-defunct original A-League until it merged with the USISL for the 1997 season, creating the new A-League. The A-League was renamed the USL First Division in 2005. In 2006 the Rhinos moved into the newly completed PAETEC Park, a 13,768-seat soccer-specific stadium.

The Rhinos have prided themselves on upholding a high level of play over their 20-year history. The team made the playoffs every season until 2013. They reached the championship game seven times (1996, 1998–2001, 2006, 2015). The Rhinos have been league champions four times (1998, 2000, 2001, 2015). They also won the 1999 U.S. Open Cup, becoming the only non-Major League Soccer team to win the cup since MLS began play in 1996. The Rhinos hold a record of 10–15 versus MLS teams in the U.S Open Cup.

The Rhinos were considered a candidate to be an expansion team at the MLS level when PAETEC Park was in the planning stages.

The team was declared insolvent in 2008 after defaulting on their stadium agreement, and PAETEC Park was seized by the city of Rochester. After a brief search for a new owner and investor who could improve the team's financial outlook, in March, 2008, the Rhinos official website announced that the Rhinos had found both in Utica businessman Rob Clark. The new owner then announced that the team will now be known as the "Rochester Rhinos," and that the financial situation of the team no longer put them in any danger of not being able to afford the upcoming season.

After two seasons under owner Rob Clark, on November 30, 2009, the club announced they would be joining the new NASL for its 2010 season. The United States Soccer Federation refused the NASL's application for sanctioning, and instead operated its own temporary second-division league for 2010. The Rhinos were part of that temporary USSF Division 2 Professional League league. The Rhinos switched leagues again before the 2011 season to the then third-division USL Pro league, who considered themselves equally competitive with the second-division NASL.

The 2009, 2010, and 2011 seasons saw many players come and go from the Rhinos roster, which is a change from their earlier history during the 1990s and early 2000s when players such as Lenin Steenkamp (9 years) and Doug Miller (8 years) stayed for many years. Nathaniel Short, Ryan Heins, and Isaac Kissi were with the team in 2009 and 2010, but of the three only Isaac Kissi was back in 2011.

The 2011 season ended with the Rhinos first in their division followed by a playoff season that lasted 2 games. The Rhinos saw off the Pittsburgh Riverhounds 4–0 in first round of the playoffs and then lost 2–1 at home to the Harrisburg City Islanders to finish the season.

On September 15, 2011, the official Rhinos website announced that head coach Bob Lilley would not be returning for the 2012 season. On October 12 Jesse Myers, most recently an assistant coach of the Richmond Kickers, was named as the new head coach of the Rhinos.

On January 28, 2013, it was announced that the Rhinos would serve as the official USL Pro affiliate of the New England Revolution. Following a 1–6–1 start to the season, on May 19 Myers was dismissed and Pat Ercoli named Head Coach for the remainder of the 2013 season. They missed the playoffs for the first time ever, finishing with a 6–10–10 record.

On January 5, 2016, the league announced that it had revoked the Clark family's ownership of the club, citing the revocation of the lease on Rochester Rhinos Stadium by the City of Rochester. The league took over operations of the club until it could be sold to a new ownership group. David and Wendy Dworkin, minority owners of the Sacramento Kings basketball club, were identified as the Rhinos' new owners on January 16. The Dworkins were officially announced as the new owners on March 10, 2016.

Stadium

Media

The Rhinos have been covered in the Rochester-based Democrat and Chronicle newspaper since their founding by reporter Jeff Diveronica.

Supporters

The Oak Street Brigade is the official supporters group of the Rhinos. Occupying section 101 at Rochester Rhinos Stadium, the Brigade stands and sings for 90 minutes every game and usually 30 minutes before and after. Best known for their "1 ton bass drum" and a flurry of streamers and smoke bombs following every Rhinos goal. Their biggest rivals are the Montreal Ultras and Pittsburgh. The name Oak Street Brigade refers to the address of Rochester Rhinos Stadium.

Current roster

as of March 24, 2015

Staff

Notable former players

Rochester Rhinos Hall of Fame

Retired numbers

Head coaches

Achievements