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The list of MLS Cup winning head coaches includes seven head coaches who have won multiple MLS Cup titles — Bruce Arena, who has won MLS Cup five times, and Sigi Schmid, Frank Yallop, Dominic Kinnear, Brian Schmetzer, Caleb Porter and Greg Vanney, who have each won MLS Cup twice.
To date, four head coaches have led two different clubs to win the MLS Cup: Sigi Schmid (with Los Angeles Galaxy in 2002 and Columbus Crew in 2008), Bruce Arena (with D.C. United in 1996 and 1997 and LA Galaxy in 2011, 2012 and 2014), Caleb Porter (with Portland Timbers in 2015 and Columbus Crew in 2020) and Greg Vanney (with Toronto FC in 2017 and LA Galaxy in 2024).
Only two head coaches have won the playoffs as both a player and head coach. Piotr Nowak played for Chicago Fire during their 1998 MLS Cup title (in which he was named the Man of the Match), and subsequently led D.C. United as a coach to their fourth MLS Cup title in 2004. Peter Vermes won the 2000 MLS Cup with Sporting Kansas City (then known as the Kansas City Wizards) as a player, then won MLS Cup with the same team as a coach in 2013. The next closest head coaches to such an achievement are Dominic Kinnear and Greg Vanney. Kinnear was on the Colorado Rapids squad that lost the 1997 MLS Cup final; however, he led the Houston Dynamo to two straight MLS Cup titles in 2006 and 2007. Vanney was on the LA Galaxy roster that finished as runners-up in 1996 and 2001, and coached Toronto FC and the LA Galaxy to victory in 2017 and 2024, respectively.
Wilfried Nancy led the Columbus Crew to an MLS Cup victory in 2023 and became the first Black manager of a cup-winning team.
Winning head coaches
Coaches with multiple MLS Cup victories
| Wins | Head coach | Team(s) won with (years) | MLS coaching career |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Bruce Arena | D.C. United (1996, 1997) LA Galaxy (2011, 2012, 2014) |
1996–1998 2006–2016 2019–2023 |
| 2 | Sigi Schmid | Los Angeles Galaxy (2002) Columbus Crew (2008) |
1999–2004 2006–2018 |
| Frank Yallop | San Jose Earthquakes (2001, 2003) | 2001–2003 2006–2015 | |
| Dominic Kinnear | Houston Dynamo (2006, 2007) | 2004–2018 | |
| Brian Schmetzer | Seattle Sounders FC (2016, 2019) | 2016–present | |
| Caleb Porter | Portland Timbers (2015) Columbus Crew SC (2020) |
2013–2017 2019–2022 | |
| Greg Vanney | Toronto FC (2017) LA Galaxy (2024) |
2014–present |
By nationality
| Nation | Head coaches | Total |
|---|---|---|
 United States
|
11 | 19 |
 Canada
|
1 | 2 |
 Germany
|
1 | 2 |
 Argentina
|
1 | 1 |
 France
|
1 | 1 |
 England
|
1 | 1 |
 Norway
|
1 | 1 |
 Netherlands
|
1 | 1 |
 Poland
|
1 | 1 |
See also
References
- "Nancy 'proud but not happy' to be first Black coach to win MLS Cup". France24. Agence France-Presse. December 9, 2023. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
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