Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise Austin FC has announced Nico Estévez as its new head coach. Estévez becomes the second official head coach in the history of the team, known as Verde.
According to an October 25 press release from the team, Estévez, a 44-year-old bilingual native of Valencia, Spain, brings with him a wealth of experience from MLS, La Liga, and international coaching. He will join Austin FC after fulfilling his commitments with the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) during the upcoming November Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) window.
Estévez described Austin as "a vibrant city with fantastic music, food, culture, and most importantly, a fanbase that is incredibly passionate about soccer and Austin FC." He said this passion was one of the main reasons for his decision to join the club. Estévez began his coaching career in 2004 with Valencia CF's youth system and moved to the U.S. a decade ago to take on a role as Director of Methodology for Columbus Crew SC.
The release also noted that Estévez is familiar with Texas, having previously served as head coach for Dallas FC earlier this decade.
Austin FC Sporting Director Rodolfo Borrell expressed excitement about bringing Estévez into the club. Verde will enter its fifth season in 2025 and is set to return to official play next February.