The Blast has looked to the past to build on its future, bringing color commentator Bobby McAvan from the radio booth to the bench as its new head coach.

McAvan, 49 and a member of the Blast's 1983-84 Major Indoor Soccer League championship team, became the franchise's third coach in a one-month span, replacing Sean Bowers.

Bowers, an All-Star defender, and the Blast brass decided that a player/coach scenario was not in the best interest of the team. The Blast, in last place in the MISL's Eastern Conference with a 3-10 mark, went 2-4 after Bowers replaced former coach and current general manager Kevin Healey on Nov. 7.

In his five years as a player with the Blast, McAvan was a hard-nosed defender who always gave it his all. A professional head coach for the first time, he'll expect no less from his players.

"Losing a game is one thing, but when you lose and it appears on the surface that you're not playing as a unit, not playing and working hard for each other - then frankly that's not acceptable. The intensity/effort has to be there," said McAvan.

Healey is confident McAvan can bring back the fire the team has been lacking the past two seasons.

"He knows indoor soccer very, very well and he has a passion not only for the game, but a passion for the Baltimore Blast organization," Healey said. "I think that is very important for both the players and it's a great attribute out in the community. I always respected Bobby as a player because he gave you everything he had at all times, and I can't see where he'll accept anything less."

McAvan, who has been a broadcaster for all home and away games over the past five seasons, has a good assessment of the team's positives and negatives. Though he'll make some tactical adjustments, regaining a winning mentality is the biggest need.

It begins with accountability.

"It's a huge word that has to apply to everybody and it will apply to me first of all. I'm accountable for what goes on right now," he said.