LA Galaxy general manager Dennis te Kloese and Columbus Crew technical director Pat Onstad are frontrunners for the open Houston Dynamo FC GM job, sources tell MLSsoccer.com. The club also looked into Seattle Sounders technical director Craig Waibel as part of their GM search, among other candidates.
The job has been open since Aug. 30 when the club parted ways with Matt Jordan. New majority owner Ted Segal took control of the Dynamo two months prior in late June.
Te Kloese is out of contract at the end of the 2021 season, though the Galaxy hold a club option for 2022. MLSsoccer.com previously reported te Kloese was a target for several Liga MX clubs, including Chivas. Club Tijuana and Puebla have also expressed interest.
The Dutch-born executive was named scouting director of Chivas in 2003 before becoming director of soccer for now-defunct MLS club Chivas USA from 2005-08. Te Kloese later worked with the Mexican soccer federation, where he served as director of Mexico’s youth national teams before being promoted to serving as director of all Mexico’s national teams.
LA hired Greg Vanney as head coach this offseason and embarked upon a roster upheaval that fast-tracked their rebuild, currently sitting at fifth place in the Western Conference standings. The club acquired the likes of Rayan Raveloson, Kevin Cabral, Samuel Grandsir, Dejan Joveljic and more this year.
Onstad has been the Crew's technical director since 2019, joining after Tim Bezbatchenko took over as club president & GM. The Crew won MLS Cup last year and Campeones Cup this fall.
A longtime MLS and Canadian national team goalkeeper, Onstad transitioned to his post-playing career as an assistant with D.C. United, chief scout with Toronto FC and then assistant with Columbus before joining the front office in 2019. The Crew have acquired the likes of Lucas Zelarayan, Darlington Nagbe, Eloy Room and others over the past few seasons. During his playing days, Onstad won two MLS Cups (2006, '07) with the Dynamo.
Houston missed the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs again in 2021, for the seventh time in the last eight seasons, currently sitting 10th in the Western Conference standings with 30 points after 31 games. Head coach Tab Ramos is wrapping up his second season in charge.
