MONTREAL - The first priority for the Montreal Impact's entry into Major League Soccer is hiring a head coach.
That tops the laundry list of things to do for the newest MLS team and the club's brass says it's got it down to three finalists.
Nick De Santis, the Impact's sporting director, says the club wants a coach with North American coaching experience.
He says the staff will be built around the new coach, so the position is integral and must be filled as soon as possible.
The club's management team is already planning extensive scouting missions in advance of a 10-round expansion draft following the MLS cup.
The Impact must also prepare for the MLS Superdraft in January, where the club holds the first pick overall.
De Santis says the team hopes to identify three or four players it considers difference-makers for the inaugural roster.
The Impact are slated to join Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps as the third Canadian-based team in MLS next spring.
The club's home won't be ready in time though.
Saputo Stadium is slated to undergo renovations to increase its capacity to 20,000 from 13,000. But the work won't be completed until next summer, meaning the club will play out of the indoor Olympic Stadium in the interim.
