FC Dallas have their new head coach, announcing Thursday that former US men's national team assistant Nico Estevez has been appointed ahead of the 2022 season.
The link between FC Dallas and Estevez was first reported by Nico Cantor and Michele Giannone of the US Futbol Podcast on Tuesday, with Thursday's announcement making it official.
“This is a phenomenal opportunity to lead FC Dallas,” Estevez said in Thursday's release. “The club is globally recognized for developing talent and I’m looking forward to working with these players. I’d like to thank the Hunt family for their trust and commitment. I expect my team to work hard and play an attractive style of soccer that will make FC Dallas fans proud.”
Estevez joins FC Dallas from the USMNT, where he worked under head coach Gregg Berhalter since 2019. Prior to that, he also worked as an assistant under Berhalter during the 2017-18 seasons with the Columbus Crew.
The 41-year-old started his coaching career in his native Spain, where he spent eight seasons with La Liga side Valencia, primarily working with the club's youth teams while also coaching the second team and serving as the first-team head coach on an interim basis in 2013. That experience working with young players is a logical fit for FC Dallas' famously youth-driven approach, club president Dan Hunt said.
“Nico’s familiarity with our player pool and understanding of our roster are huge assets,” Hunt said. “He understands how to have success across all levels of the game and will do what is necessary to produce winning results.”
Estevez will join FCD this month, pending immigration approval, with the rest of his coaching staff set to be announced at a later date.
FC Dallas were searching for a permanent replacement for Luchi Gonzalez, who parted with the club midway through the 2021 season. Marco Ferruzzi finished out the year as interim coach, though they slotted 11th in the Western Conference standings and missed the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
