Mike Petke, former Red Bulls coach, interviews for Chicago Fire HC job

The Chicago Fire’s season ended on Sunday evening, a season that was supposed to return the franchise to the playoffs instead ending with the worst record in the league. And for their head coaching search, they could be turning to a man who coached the best team in the league two years ago.

Metro New York has learned that former New York Red Bulls head coach Mike Petke interviewed for the vacant job in Chicago, one of several high-profile candidates for the job. A league source tells Metro New York that Petke interviewed with the Fire last week for a job that has been vacant since the organization fired Frank Yallop in September.

When reached by phone, Petke refused to comment on if he interviewed with the Fire. But he certainly is an intriguing candidate for this job.

In 2013 in his first year as a head coach in MLS, Petke led the Red Bulls to the Supporters Shield for the best record in the league. He followed that up the next year with taking the Red Bulls to within a game of the MLS Cup.

Drafted in 1998 by the MetroStars, he spent the bulk of his career in New York and retired with the Red Bulls after the 2010 season. He then became an assistant coach under former Red Bulls head coach Hans Backe.