Austin FC have named Nico Estévez as head coach entering the 2025 MLS season, the club announced Friday.
Estévez fills the role previously held by inaugural manager Josh Wolff, who was dismissed in early October. Wolff led Austin for four seasons, starting with their 2021 expansion campaign.
MLS experience
Most recently, Estévez was FC Dallas' head coach (2022-24). He's also worked as a US men's national team assistant, logging stints under both Gregg Berhalter (2019-21) and Mauricio Pochettino (2024), and held several roles with the Columbus Crew (2014-18).
"We are delighted to have Nico join Austin FC as our second-ever head coach," sporting director Rodolfo Borrell said in a release.
"Our search process was extremely detailed and we feel he is someone that ticks all the boxes – he is highly ambitious, has experience in MLS, and he is familiar with the culture in Texas. We believe he will be an excellent fit for this club and community both on and off the field, and we’d like to wish him and his family a warm welcome to Austin."
New opportunity
Before coming stateside, Estévez's coaching career began in his native Spain at LaLiga side Valencia CF. He was interim manager of Valencia's first team in 2013 for two matches, notching a victory over Real Madrid during his short spell.
While at FC Dallas, Estévez's team made the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in 2022 and 2023. He was let go in early June.
Now, Estévez returns to the MLS sidelines at a rival Western Conference club. He'll work alongside Borrell, a fellow Spaniard who joined the Verde & Black in June 2023 after working for European clubs FC Barcelona, Liverpool and Manchester City.
"Austin is a vibrant city with fantastic music, food, culture, and most importantly, a fanbase that is incredibly passionate about soccer and Austin FC," said Estévez.
"That passion was one of the main reasons why coming to Austin was so exciting to me, and I’m looking forward to growing the team on the field while getting to know our supporters on a personal level. I want to thank Rodolfo and the entire club for this opportunity."
The Verde & Black's roster is led by DP attackers Sebastián Driussi and Osman Bukari, as well as homegrown midfielder Owen Wolff and goalkeeper Brad Stuver.
Austin missed the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs, finishing 10th in the West (42 points; 11W-14L-9D). They scored just 39 goals, the third-fewest in MLS.
