Austin FC has made sweeping changes to its leadership structure, dismissing both head coach Nico Estevez and sporting director Rodolfo Borrell on Monday. The decision comes after a disappointing start to the 2025 MLS season, with the club currently sitting 13th in the Western Conference following consecutive heavy defeats.
The timing of the announcement follows a 2-1 home loss to Sporting Kansas City over the weekend, continuing a downward spiral that included a catastrophic 5-0 defeat to San Diego—the worst loss in club history. Despite the recent improvement, Kansas City's victory left them dead last in the conference with just two wins from their opening 12 matches, highlighting just how poorly Austin has performed.
Leadership Overhaul and Search Process
Club owner Anthony Precourt stated that the dismissals align with Austin FC's commitment to delivering consistent winning performances. "We know that our fans and our community deserve a winner," Precourt said in a statement. The club has engaged Excel Sports Management's specialized search division to identify replacements during the upcoming 60-day World Cup break in MLS.
Davy Arnaud will assume interim head coach duties for Saturday's match against St. Louis City SC. The club will then enter an extended midseason break before resuming fixtures on July 22 against Seattle Sounders.
Estevez's Brief Tenure and Borrell's Academy Pedigree
Estevez arrived at Austin FC in October 2024 with high expectations, having previously coached FC Dallas and served as an assistant with the U.S. men's national team. In his debut season, he guided the club to a playoff position by finishing sixth in the conference, though they fell in the first round to Los Angeles FC. His inability to build on that foundation sealed his fate.
Borrell brought extensive credentials when joining in 2023, having spent years developing talent at Manchester City under Pep Guardiola before reshaping Liverpool's academy. Earlier in his career, he worked through Barcelona's renowned La Masia system. However, those accomplishments failed to translate at Austin FC, where salary cap constraints and squad-building challenges proved too difficult to overcome within MLS's financial structure. The club's ownership group will now seek a new vision for sustained competitiveness in Major League Soccer.
