NYCFC head coaching history

In less than a decade of existence, New York City FC already has cycled through a handful of head coaches in the quest for its first trophy. Follow the path of the NYCFC coaching job from the club’s launch in 2013 to today:

Jason Kreis

Season: 2015

Regular season (W-L-D): 10-17-7

Playoffs: N/A

U.S. Open Cup: 0-1-0

International competition: N/A

A Major League Soccer veteran and U.S. international who coached Real Salt Lake to an MLS Cup victory in 2008, Kreis was named New York City FC’s first coach and remains the only American to coach the club. Claudio Reyna, the club’s first sporting director, signed his former U.S. teammate in December 2013, about 15 months before NYCFC's first competitive match. NYCFC’s inaugural season under Kreis was a disappointment, as Kreis was unable to translate the club’s big-name designated player signings into success. The club finished in eighth place (out of 10 teams) in the Eastern Conference with 37 points and was eliminated by the second-division New York Cosmos in NYCFC’s U.S. Open Cup debut. Kreis was relieved of his position in November 2015.

Patrick Vieira

Seasons: 2016, 2017, 2018 (partial)

Regular season (W-L-D): 39-22-22

Playoffs: 1-3-0

U.S. Open Cup: 0-3-0

International competition: N/A

Vieira, a legend at Arsenal and Inter Milan with six top-flight titles in his playing career, took over at NYCFC having never coached a first-division side. The Frenchman, however, had spent the previous few years in charge of Manchester City’s reserve team while learning City Football Group’s operation style, making him a natural fit at the CFG sister club in MLS. With top draft pick Jack Harrison joining and David Villa playing at an MVP level, Vieira immediately turned NYCFC into a playoff contender in 2016. The club secured postseason berths in each of his two full seasons, finishing second in the Eastern Conference both years. Success ended there for Vieira, as his teams never advanced past the first round of the playoffs, while failing to beat local rivals in U.S. Open Cup play. In June 2018, Vieira departed mid-season to become coach of OGC Nice in the French first division.

Domènec Torrent

Seasons: 2018 (partial), 2019

Regular season (W-L-D): 26-13-14

Playoffs: 1-3-0

U.S. Open Cup: 2-0-1

International competition: N/A

Another arrival from CFG’s largest club, Torrent joined NYCFC after a decade by the side of Pep Guardiola, having followed his fellow Spaniard from Barcelona to Bayern Munich, then Manchester City. Torrent kept NYCFC afloat upon taking over in June 2018, and despite only three wins in the final 13 matches, led the club back to the playoffs, advancing from its opening round for the first time before falling in both legs of an Eastern Conference semifinal. In 2019, the club’s first season without Villa, Torrent didn’t skip a beat, integrating a trio of new attackers and a pair of young midfielders into the side to great effect. NYCFC had its best regular season yet, finishing atop the East with 64 points to earn a CONCACAF Champions League berth and a home playoff match. The club also earned its first U.S. Open Cup wins in 2019, reaching the quarterfinals before being eliminated on penalties. By the time the postseason arrived, however, Torrent already was signaling a possible departure, and not long after NYCFC lost its playoff opener on a stoppage-time penalty, Torrent and the club mutually agreed to part ways in November 2019.

Ronny Deila

Seasons: 2020-present

Regular season (W-L-D, as of June 9): 15-10-5

Playoffs: 0-0-1

U.S. Open Cup: N/A

International competition: 2-2-0

NYCFC went outside the scope of CFG and MLS with its fourth head coaching hire. A Norwegian with experience coaching in the Scottish Premiership, Deila is the first coach signed by sporting director David Lee, who took over for Reyna after the 2019 season, and CEO Brad Sims, in charge since 2019. In 2020, Deila picked up two CONCACAF Champions League wins before his first league match, but the pandemic-altered start to the MLS campaign proved troublesome as NYCFC lost five of its first six regular-season matches. Deila mostly turned things around from there despite several injuries and departures in attack, losing just three of the final 17 matches to earn NYCFC’s fifth straight postseason appearance. Postseason, however, proved to vex NYCFC again. A penalty-shootout loss sealed a first-round MLS Cup knockout, and a shellacking in the CCL’s resumption ended Deila’s first year trophyless.