Sporting Kansas City have extended Peter Vermes’ contract as manager and technical director of the club through the 2019 season, the team announced on Tuesday.
Vermes has served as SKC’s head coach since midway through the 2009 season, guiding the team to the 2013 MLS Cup and 2012 and 2015 US Open Cup titles. The all-time winningest coach in Sporting history and eighth-winningest manager in MLS regular season history, Vermes has a 103-82-61 regular season record with SKC and 128 victories across all competitions.
“I have been extremely fortunate and I am incredibly appreciative for not only being a part of the vision of this ownership group and organization over the last 10-plus years, but also for the opportunity to continue to be a steward for the club,” Vermes said in a statement released by SKC. “I have been involved with this project from ground zero and am exceptionally proud to be able to build on the foundation that has been created here.
"We have a tremendous staff, an amazing fan base with a fantastic stadium environment, and players who are committed and dedicated to our club culture. All of these factors made the process extremely easy. I personally want to thank the ownership group so we can continue to do what we have done for this great organization. In particular, I appreciate the effort from Mike Illig, with whom I spent significant time finalizing this deal. I look forward to the job ahead and preparing for the 2017 season.”
Vermes, 50, is the longest tenured manager in MLS. The former Kansas City and US national team defender captained the club to an MLS Cup title in 2000, making him the only person in the history of the league to win MLS Cup as a player and a coach with the same team.
He’s led SKC to a club-record six straight playoff appearances since 2011 and won Eastern Conference regular season titles in 2011 and 2012. A US Soccer Hall of Famer, Vermes joined Kansas City as a player ahead of the 2000 season, spending three years with the team before retiring after the 2002 campaign. He was named the club’s technical director in November 2006 and took over the head coaching position after dismissing Curt Onalfo midway through the 2009 campaign.
“Peter has consistently proven to be one of the most successful managers in Major League Soccer, and extending his contract was an important initiative for us this offseason,” SKC principal owner Cliff Illig said in the statement. “We are very proud of the work that Peter has done for the organization, as well as turning Sporting KC into a perennial contender with six straight playoff appearances and three trophies in the past five years. The energy, focus and emphasis on detail as a manager and technical director that he puts into the first team, the Swope Park Rangers and our academy are second-to-none in our league, and we look forward to continuing our pursuit of championships with him.”
