How Ezra Hendrickson went from the Caribbean to Chicago Fire coach — as told by his MLS and high school teammates

Published by
Chicago Tribune

CHICAGO — Kokomo was nothing like the small village Ezra Hendrickson emigrated from when he was 13. Indiana is 2,400 miles from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, but culturally it couldn’t be any further. It was cold. He looked different. And to some of the other kids, having a Caribbean accent meant you talked a little funny. And pizza? Never had that before. Fast forward three decades and Hendrickson — whose “culture shock” became “love” for his adopted home state — is the head coach of the Chicago Fire. After 25 years in Major League Soccer — 12 as a player, 13 as an assistant — Hendrickson’s…