San Diego FC hires Mikey Varas as inaugural head coach
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New SDFC head coach Mikey Varas at Snapdragon Stadium. Photo: Courtesy of San Diego FC
San Diego FC hired Mikey Varas as the MLS club's first head coach, the team announced Monday.
Why it matters: Varas, who most recently served as interim head coach of the U.S. Men's National Team, will lead the new squad in its inaugural MLS season, which kicks off in 2025.
What they're saying: His "leadership, desire to win now, and his deep understanding of player development make him the ideal choice to guide our Club forward," SDFC chairman and majority owner Mohamed Mansour said in a news release.
- In addition to building a winning culture, Vargas' "ideas on the game and how it should be played align with ours," SDFC sporting director Tyler Heaps said in a news release.
Between the lines: The club is focused on the future with its hires and investment in a unique residential youth soccer academy and training facility that's part of the international Right to Dream program.
- Varas, 41, has never been a professional head coach, but he's "young, bilingual, tactically proficient and known for his commitment to youth development," which fits with SDFC's vision, per the Union-Tribune's Mark Zeigler.
Catch up quick: Varas became interim head coach of the U.S. Men's National Team after Gregg Berhalter was fired in July following the team's elimination in the first round of the Copa America.
- Varas was one of Berhalter's assistants and stepped into that role after coaching the U-20 men's national team from 2021-2023.
- He coached that squad to a 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship title, which secured the U.S. team's first Olympic berth since 2008.
- Varas later coached that group to the quarterfinals of the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Before joining U.S. Soccer, Varas coached youth teams in California and served as an assistant coach for FC Dallas. That club made the MLS Cup playoffs twice during Varas' tenure with top homegrown talent from its academy.
Flashback: In June, SDFC signed Mexican soccer star Hirving "Chucky" Lozano as its marquee player — and one of the highest paid.
- The club then looked internally, hiring soccer analytics and player development specialist Tyler Heaps as sporting director or general manager in August. He's the youngest person in that role in the MLS.
- San Diego's first signing was local 17-year-old goalkeeper Duran Ferree.
What's next: The club will fill out its roster through individual signings, the MLS expansion draft and a SuperDraft for youth pro players before league play begins in February.
- SDFC training camp starts in January with the opening of the new $150 million campus on the Sycuan reservation in El Cajon.