CARY - When Carolina RailHawks president Curt Johnson needed to find a coaching replacement for Martin Rennie, now coaching in Major League Soccer with the Vancouver Whitecaps, he turned to an old friend.

An old friend who happened to be coaching the North American Soccer League's other top team.

Colin Clarke was formally introduced as the third gaffer in RailHawks' franchise history on Tuesday afternoon. He was signed to a two-year contract with a team option for a third. Other terms were not disclosed, per team policy.

For the previous five seasons, Clarke has been the coach of the Puerto Rico Islanders. Puerto Rico, which finished runner-up to the RailHawks at the end of this past season's regular season, had defeated the RailHawks in the 2010 league championship and finished runner-up in the 2008 championship game.

Johnson and Clarke's history dates back to 1998, when the former hired the latter as coach of the Richmond Kickers.

After a successful two years at the Kickers' coach, Clarke spent a year with the now-defunct San Diego Flash, then coached in MLS and won two western conference titles in three seasons with FC Dallas. After a lack of postseason success had Clarke fired at Dallas, he landed in Puerto Rico.

"Immediately, my attention turned to Colin (during the process)," Johnson said. "It reiterated to me that he was the right guy."

Clarke, 49, cited "personal and professional reasons" for leaving an Islanders club who he had built into a perennial contender and 2009 CONCACAF Champions League runner-up.

"I liked what Curt was selling and what was going on here," Clarke said. "My wife's family is from Richmond, so that played into it as well. I like to win things, and this is a great opportunity to win a championship with this team"

The RailHawks have a division title and a regular-season title in the previous two seasons, but a championship has eluded the club.

Only two players signed for next year in defender Cory Miller and third-string goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald.

All-league selections Etienne Barbara, Matt Watson and Brad Knighton are likely to leave for Major League Soccer. A fourth all-league player Kupono Low, the only player remaining from the RailHawks' inaugural season in 2007, was in attendance as the press conference and both Johnson and Clarke openly expressed interest in re-signing him.

"I would prefer 10 or 12 (existing players) were already signed, but it's up to me to go out and persuade them," Clarke said. "The good players are always going to move on. That's part of the deal (in second-division soccer)."

Who Clarke will tab to fill out the rest of his staff is still undetermined.

Puerto Rican newspaper Primera Hora has reported that one of Clarke's assistants, Adrian Whitbread, is the frontrunner to replace Clarke.

Two RailHawks assistants -- Dewan Bader and Ziggy Zigante -- remain on staff after Rennie took only assistant Paul Ritchie to the Whitecaps.

Clarke said he would like to have at least one current assistant remain to keep some familiarity around the club.

"We would like to keep contact with the team from before," Clarke said. "This (team) has been very good and we want to keep those good parts and continue that link to the past."

Clarke is still of the leading goal-scorers for Northern Ireland's national team. He was also the Puerto Rican national team's head coach for four years.