LAFC assistant coach Marc Dos Santos is the leading candidate to become the Vancouver Whitecaps’ next head coach, according to a report from The Athletic's Kristian Dyer.
Multiple sources verified that Dos Santos is in the mix for the job, while two added that “he is the favorite to be offered the position.”
A Whitecaps spokesperson said in a statement that the club has not spoken to any candidates at this time, and has just started its comprehensive search for a new head coach.
Vancouver announced earlier this week that they had parted ways with head coach Carl Robinson, effective immediately, after five seasons in charge. Assistant coaches Martyn Pert and Gordon Forrest and goalkeeper coach Stewart Kerr were also released.
“It’s never an easy decision to relieve your coaching staff, but this was a time where we felt it gave us the best chance to, for the most part, look at the longer term future,” club president Bob Lenarduzzi told reporters at Whitecaps training Tuesday morning. “But also what we don’t want to do is to write off the playoff opportunity.”
The Whitecaps sit eighth in the Western Conference standings, four points behind the Seattle Sounders, who occupy the final playoff spot at present.
Dos Santos, 41, is also on the San Jose Earthquakes’ radar to fill their coaching vacancy, per ESPN FC.
Prior to serving under Bob Bradley in LAFC’s inaugural season, Dos Santos piloted then-expansion club Swope Park Rangers to a USL Cup final appearance in 2016 and followed it up with an NASL Championship in 2017 with the San Francisco Deltas in their lone season of existence.
