Amid historically poor start, Galaxy extends coach Greg Vanney

Countering speculation that Los Angeles Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney might be relieved of his duties following a brutal start to the season, the club instead signed the 50-year-old to a contract extension.

According to the Athletic, Vanney's extension is for three years through the 2028 season and will make him one of the highest-paid coaches in MLS -- highest among those who don't also have sporting director duties. The actual financial terms were not reported.

The club won the sixth MLS Cup title in club history last season despite missing star midfielder Riqui Puig due to an ACL injury. That title triggered a one-year extension for Vanney through this season.

Amid some roster changes, while Puig remains out, Los Angeles has gotten off to a disastrous 0-10-3 start this season. No MLS club has ever gone 13 games to start a season without a victory.

The contract extension comes as the club lauded Vanney's "vision" for the road ahead.

"Greg is one of the most respected and successful coaches in MLS history and we are excited to be continuing under his leadership," general manager Will Kuntz said in a release. "While this season's results haven't reflected our standards, this was a decision made following our 2024 MLS Cup victory and we remain confident in the project we are building with Greg."

Vanney played seven seasons with the Galaxy, starting his MLS career with the club from 1996-2001. He played four seasons in France before returning to MLS with FC Dallas, the Colorado Rapids and D.C. United, then finished his playing days with the Galaxy in 2008.

Vanney led the Galaxy to a 19-8-7 record in the 2024 regular season, which was capped by a run through the playoffs that culminated with a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls in the MLS Cup final.

He has a 54-56-39 record in five seasons as Galaxy head coach. He previously coached Toronto FC from 2014-20.

"I'm honored to continue this journey with a club that has meant so much to me," Vanney said in a release. "We know we haven't started this season the way we intended, but we believe in the group, in the process, and in what we're building. I'm fully committed to our players, our fans, and this organization, and I'm excited for what's ahead."

In addition to signing Vanney to an extension, the club hired Ravi Ramineni to the newly created role of director of quantitative analysis, promoted former midfielder Juninho to senior advisor to the general manager, and promoted Zack Murshedi to director of team administration and player care.

--Field Level Media