ESPN

CHICAGO -- Mike Matkovich and Leo Percovich will return to the Chicago Fire as assistant coaches for the 2012 season, the team announced on Friday. The two full-time assistant coaches will serve under Frank Klopas, who was named head coach on Nov. 3.

Matkovich, 49, previously served as a Fire assistant coach from 2009-10, but spent 2011 as the director of coaching for the Chicago Fire Juniors-South and as an assistant coach for the team’s Academy sides. Hailing from Frankfort, Ill., Matkovich’s first job with the Fire was as head coach of the Chicago Fire PDL from 2002-06. He held assistant coaching positions with Toronto FC in 2007 and with Percovich at Chivas USA in 2008.

For Percovich, 43, this will be his second season as an assistant coach with the Fire.

A native of Montevideo, Uruguay, Percovich is a former Copa Libertadores and Uruguayan First Division champion who joined Toronto FC as an assistant coach in 2009, after serving as a goalkeeper coach with the Colorado Rapids and Chivas USA.

Klopas, the team’s first technical director from 2008-2011, was appointed interim head coach in late May after a 1-4-6 start led to the firing of coach Carlos de los Cobos. The Fire finished the season 8-5-10 under Klopas, narrowly missing the playoffs.

The Fire open the season Mar. 17 in Montreal and will host the Philadelphia Union at Toyota Park in their home opener on Mar. 24.

With the Chicago Fire's first offseason move, the team fired assistant coach Mike Matkovich on Thursday after the organization posted a 9-12-9 record and missed the playoffs under first-year head coach Carlos de los Cobos.

The Naperville native's soccer background in the Chicago area spanned a variety of areas -- from the head of the Chicago Fire Reserves, to directing the Chicago Magic youth soccer club, to assisting the Chicago Power professional indoor soccer team in the early 1990s.

Matkovich originally joined the Fire before the 2009 MLS season to replace Chris Armas, who decided to leave the organization to return to New York. Also on Thursday, the team released fitness specialist Alvaro Briones.

"This was a difficult decision for the club to make," Fire technical director Frank Klopas said in a statement. "Everyone at the Fire has tremendous respect for Mike and Alvaro. However, we have decided to go in another direction."

The Fire will have their list of candidates to fill Matkovich's position, and it would make sense for Chicago to take a hard look at keeping recently retired defender C.J. Brown in an assistant role.

During his retirement announcement one week ago, Brown mentioned his desire for this type of position. He currently coaches the Chicago Fire Juniors, and his knowledge of the organization is unmatched.

"I would love to stay in MLS and coach in MLS," Brown said on Oct. 21. "I think I can help drive kids to be better professionals, and also I feel like I've been in the league long enough to know what it takes to win. I think I could help out in many ways."

Armas went from 12-year MLS veteran through 2007, officially retired after the season, then was named a Fire assistant coach in January 2008.

It would not be surprising to see the organization take a similar approach with Brown following Thursday's announcement.

Brown to be honored: The Fire announced earlier in the week that they and Section 8 Chicago will honor Brown's 13-year career on Nov. 9 at The Pitch, 2142 N. Clybourn Ave., in Chicago. The event starts at 6:30 p.m., and the organization will hand out its annual team awards. Logan Pause was named the team's most valuable player, with Brown earning defender of the year, Marco Pappa the golden boot and Dasan Robinson the humanitarian of the year.