The clear trend for hip, successful, front-running MLS clubs – almost always owned by young, heavily engaged owners – is to hire progressive American managers and rely heavily on systems, analytics and attractive soccer.

Gregg Berhalter in Columbus, Caleb Porter in Portland, Peter Vermes in Kansas City, Greg Vanney in Toronto, and even Jesse Marsch and Jason Kreis in New York’s backwards MLS world, are all examples of this trend.

Foreign managers who have so rarely had success in MLS are clearly on the outs. Now that the league is entering its third decade, more and more in its coaching fraternity are former players, committed to the league and American game.

But Houston is doing something a little bit different.

When Dominic Kinnear – a throwback in today’s MLS coaching world – left Houston at the end of last season to take up the reigns of his hometown San Jose Earthquakes, the Dynamo went in a completely different direction.

Enter Owen Coyle, a 48-year-old Scotsman who has spent his entire playing and coaching career in the United Kingdom, with two seasons in the Premier League that culminated in getting relegated with Bolton Wanderers.

Coyle’s last job, with Wigan Athletic in the Championship, ended after six months. He’d been out of a job since December 2013.

The hiring of Coyle raised derisive eyebrows across MLS.

As MLS, and America at large, tries to develop a soccer style – Jurgen Klinsmann hasn’t been much help there – bringing in managers from overseas with no American connections is increasingly frowned upon.

For Coyle in particular, there’s also the Burnley stigma. Coyle has to prove that not only was he not hired just because he once coached in the Premier League, he also has to prove that he’s totally committed to MLS.

Currently, Coyle is the only MLS coach – foreign or domestic – with no prior experience in the league.

Coyle said upon his hiring in the British press that he turned down several job opportunities to get to America, and is set for the long haul – which is important to Houston.

Coyle certainly has similarities to Kinnear, who had been the club’s only ever coach. Both are Scottish, both have player-first reputations, and are actually friends from their short time together at Bolton.

Coyle wants to play attacking soccer too. He’s widening the dimensions of BBVA Compass Stadium and has a team that right now has a much better offense than defense.

But Coyle appears predominantly to just be a coach in Houston. The Dynamo’s President is Chris Canetti, and Houston started to reconfigure their roster halfway through the 2014 season, when Kinnear’s move to San Jose started to fall into place.

Honduran international Luis Garrido was brought in to play midfield, American international DaMarcus Beasley was signed on a DP contract, and just after Coyle was announced, Mexican international Cubo Torres was signed as a designated player as well.

Canetti’s hand in shaping the roster gives Coyle time to learn the ins and outs of the league, and the team’s decision to keep as much of Kinnear’s staff as it could gives the new boss as much MLS experience as possible.

Canetti has been the face of major team announcements, including introducing Cubo to widespread interest in Houston on Sunday afternoon. Coyle was with his team in Arizona, and his own media appearances have been few and far in between.

This is just an unusual hire for MLS 3.0.

Coyle’s signature shorts will work in Houston. His accent could play anywhere. Other than that, we have no idea what to expect.

Coyle hasn’t talked much in the past about systems and process, the key buzzwords of 21st century management. He’s old-fashioned, and he’s got a steep learning curve ahead of him with a team that has spent generously and wants to compete in a tough Western Conference.

Houston will start five players with World Cup experience on opening day. The pressure will be on from the get-go for Coyle to win over the team’s fans.

In fact, the manager recently said that Houston was like Burnley or Bolton, while Seattle and LA are like Chelsea and Manchester City.

It’s those kinds comments that make people shake their heads. Houston made the MLS Cup Final in 2011 and 2012. There’s a reputation of stability and excellence at the club already. Perhaps that’s why they’re sticking to their guns.

Coyle isn’t going to buy patience talking about the intricacies of his tactical system. He has to overcome the notion that he’s a lowest-denomination hire – someone without a particularly transcendent soccer mind.

There’s a reason MLS has gone to the young coaches like Berhalter and Porter. They’ve been successful. Coaches like the people Berhalter and Porter replaced – John Spencer in Portland and Robert Warzycha in Columbus weren’t.

In that sense, Coyle is a much riskier hire than a Robin Fraser or Steve Ralston would have been.

Houston is doubling down on their way – with a steady stream of hard-working, tough players led by wily, old-fashioned leadership.

They have freshened things with a new technical director and a star like Torres, but this managerial hire – the team’s first, really – is a throwback.

It feels like Houston is banking on a management style that is just a little outdated.

Maybe Owen Coyle is the man to bring it back into style.