MLS: Sporting Kansas City Parts Ways with Peter Vermes, Appoints Kerry Zavagnin as Interim Coach
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Synopsis
Sporting Kansas City has mutually agreed to part ways with Manager Peter Vermes, the longest-tenured head coach in MLS history. Kerry Zavagnin has been appointed as the interim head coach immediately.
Key Takeaways
- Peter Vermes ends his 16-year tenure as head coach.
- Kerry Zavagnin steps in as the interim coach.
- Vermes is the longest-tenured coach in MLS history.
- He led Sporting to numerous titles and playoff appearances.
- Vermes managed more than 600 games for Sporting.
Kansas, March 31 (NationPress) Sporting Kansas City has announced the mutual decision to part ways with Manager Peter Vermes, concluding his highly successful tenure as Major League Soccer’s longest-serving head coach and one of the most seasoned managers in global soccer. Kerry Zavagnin will now take on the role of interim head coach for Sporting, effective immediately.
Vermes took on the position of Sporting’s technical director in November 2006 and became head coach in 2009, cultivating a winning environment and executing one of the most remarkable turnarounds in MLS history. Under Vermes’ innovative leadership, Sporting evolved into a consistent championship contender and a benchmark MLS organization.
“It’s difficult to express my gratitude to all the individuals who have been part of my journey over 20 seasons in managerial roles at Sporting Kansas City. I am especially thankful to ownership for allowing me the privilege of being a steward of this club for the past two decades. I wish the club nothing but continued success in the future,” Vermes stated.
Beyond lifting the 2013 MLS Cup and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup titles in 2012, 2015, and 2017, Vermes led the team to 11 playoff appearances, including eight consecutive appearances from 2011 to 2018, and four first-place finishes during the regular season. He remains the only individual to win the MLS Cup both as a player and a coach with the same team, having clinched the 2000 title as a key central defender, and his three Open Cup championships rank as the highest among active MLS coaches entering 2025. He is third in MLS history with 203 regular season victories and concludes his tenure as the longest-serving coach in Kansas City professional sports history.
Vermes managed 609 matches for Sporting across all competitions, accounting for more than half of the games in the club’s 30-year history, and setting a record for the most matches ever managed at a single MLS club. His 511 regular season matches are the third-most in league history, and his 17-season tenure surpassed any other active MLS head coach by at least seven seasons.
Inducted into the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in 2013, Vermes was honored as the first MLS Sporting Executive of the Year in early 2019, recognizing his outstanding leadership, commitment, and strategic foresight in steering Sporting towards long-term success, including the establishment of the Sporting Kansas City Academy.
Vermes’ remarkable journey as Kansas City’s head coach commenced on August 4, 2009, marking the beginning of a successful era as the club rebranded to Sporting KC and transitioned to Children’s Mercy Park ahead of the 2011 season.
In the 2024 season, Vermes guided his team to the U.S. Open Cup Final, where Sporting narrowly fell in extra time against LAFC, ending the club’s streak of four consecutive cup final victories.
