October 25, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS)
Austin FC Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – Austin FC today announced Nico Estévez as the club’s new head coach. Estévez brings MLS, La Liga and international coaching experience to Austin. The 44-year-old bilingual from Valencia, Spain will join Austin FC after completing his duties with the United States Men’s National Team during the upcoming FIFA World Cup in November.
“Austin is a vibrant city with fantastic music, food, culture and, most importantly, an incredibly passionate fan base for soccer and Austin FC,” said Estévez. “That passion was one of the main reasons why coming to Austin was so exciting for me. I’m looking forward to growing the team on the field while getting to know our supporters on a personal level. I’m excited for Rodolfo and the whole club for this opportunity. You have to participate.”
Estevez began his coaching career in the youth system of his hometown club Valencia CF in 2004. He took up his first managerial role at Huracan Valencia CF in the Spanish third tier in 2011. Estevez spent two (2) seasons with Huracán, leading the team. He recorded a total of 41 wins, 34 draws, and 13 losses. He was named the Ramón Cobo Award winner as the league’s best coach in 2012-2013.
Estevez later took over as coach of Valencia B in 2013, and eventually took over as interim coach of Valencia’s first team, leading the team to 1-0 wins in the Copa del Rey and La Liga against Carlo over two games. Ancelotti’s Real Madrid.
In 2014, Estévez moved to the United States and joined Columbus Crew SC as the team’s Director of Methodology. Estévez was promoted to first-team assistant coach ahead of the 2017 season. He served in the same role with the United States men’s national team from 2019 to 2021, most recently as a member of Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT coaching staff.
Estevez became head coach of FC Dallas in December 2021 and led Dallas to the playoffs in his first two seasons in 2022 and 2023. In his first season in Dallas in 2022, he led the team to a 20-point improvement over its previous performance. The previous season – the largest year-on-year points increase in the club’s history – and finished third in the MLS Western Conference.
“We are delighted that Nico is joining Austin FC as our second manager,” said Rodolfo Borrell, Austin FC sporting director. “Our search process was very detailed and we felt he was someone who ticked all the boxes. He is very ambitious, has MLS experience and is familiar with Texas culture. We believe he will be a great fit for this club, both on and off the pitch. , and we warmly welcome him and his family to Austin.”
Austin FC will hold a press conference with Estevez and sporting director Rodolfo Borrell on Tuesday, October 29. The timing and location of the press conference will be communicated through a media advisory shortly.
Austin FC’s preseason officially begins on January 11, 2025, while the MLS regular season begins in late February. The 2025 season will represent the club’s fifth season in MLS.
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