Greg Vanney’s long-rumored move to become LA Galaxy head coach appears to be nearing its conclusion with Grant Wahl reporting a deal is being finalized.
From the moment Vanney stepped down as Toronto FC coach on Dec. 1, he was linked to the Galaxy vacancy with MLSsoccer.com's Andrew Wiebe detailing why he’d be a perfect fit in Los Angeles that day.
The 46-year-old was an LA Galaxy original during his playing career as a Best XI defender, competing from 1996 to 2002 and again in 2008, his final season.
After serving as a Chivas USA assistant coach in 2011, Vanney was named Toronto’s ninth head coach on Aug. 31, 2014.
He led Toronto to a treble in 2017, winning MLS Cup, the Supporters' Shield and Canadian Championship. He holds every coaching record in TFC history, including matches managed (250) and wins (112).
Guillermo Barros Schelotto was relieved of his duties as LA Galaxy coach in late October, with Dom Kinnear filling in on an interim basis for the remainder of the 2020 season. His final record with the club was 21W-26L-6D. The Galaxy have had a total of nine permanent head coaches in their 25-season history and only four since 2010: Bruce Arena (2008-2016), Curt Onalfo (2017), Sigi Schmid (2017-2018) and Barros Schelotto (2019-2020).
In a video conference call with reporters after he stepped down in Toronto, Vanney thanked that club, while also clearly indicating a desire to coach again.
“I’m a builder, I like to build things," Vanney said. "I like projects. This club is in a really good place, there’s not a lot of building to do. This club is positioned to be great.”
“I do need to catch my breath and regroup a bit, but anyone who knows me, knows I don’t sit still very well," Vanney added. "It won’t be a long thing.”
Reportedly, not long at all.
