2 weeks Ago By Tom Bogert
Long before Mikey Varas was ever interviewed by San Diego FC to be its first head coach in club history — an appointment that was made official on September 16 — he was enamored with the project. Varas looked into Right to Dream and the ownership group, led by Sir Mohamed Mansour . He liked what he saw.
He already had ties to the community — he met his wife in San Diego — and was convinced this was the future he wanted. “The more I investigated, the more I realized this was calling my name ,” Varas told GIVEMESPORT this week. “Something special is going to happen here, and I want to be part of it.
” So much so, that Varas offered his services even in an informal capacity to sporting director Tyler Heaps if he wasn’t picked for manager. “I wanted to make sure I was part of the project, honestly, even if that would just be as a resource for them moving forward (if I didn’t get the job),” Varas said. “I was very clear with Tyler about that.
I wanted to be someone who helps this thing be a smashing success.” Heaps didn’t have to take Varas up on that thought. Instead, he offered him the role he most wanted: inaugural head coach.
San Diego FC have their head coach, sporting director, and superstar in place. Now comes the fun stuff: building the roster. How San Diego FC Found Their Coach Heaps, the youngest active CSO (chief soccer officer) in MLS at 33 (video above), led the hiring process.
And the club cast a wide net . They started with a long list, with names pulled together through a combination of data analysis and leveraging the club's extensive network, including FC Nordsjælland, also owned by the Mansour Group. They trimmed the group of candidates to a shortlist, interviewing coaches who were both European- and domestic-based.
Young and old. Experienced, inexperienced and everything in-between. “We were looking for someone who fit with what we want here,” Heaps said.
“At the core of that is style of play and culture. That led our process, and without a doubt, Mikey hit both of those very closely to what we wanted.” Establishing the culture is as important as the game model for this expansion project.
A bad start — on and off the field — can leave its mark on a club for years. “Mikey’s energy is infectious,” Heaps said. “We’re building a culture as we’re building a football team.
That was the most apparent thing every time I got off an interview with him.” Who is San Diego FC's Mikey Varas? The 41-year-old Varas is best known by American soccer fans for his brief stint as interim manager of the U.S.
national team in September, helping to bridge the gap between Gregg Berhalter's firing and Mauricio Pochettino hiring. But his experience is extensive for a coach of his age. Varas began in youth soccer in California, before joining Sacramento Republic’s academy .
He soon moved to FC Dallas’ famed academy , where he played a part in developing the likes of Chris Richards, Ricardo Pepi, Jesus Ferreira, Bryan Reynolds, Reggie Cannon and many more. He was elevated to the FC Dallas first team staff under Luchi Gonzalez for a few years. After Gonzalez was let go in Dallas, Varas joined U.
S. Soccer and took over the Under-20 national team . He won the 2022 CONCACAF Championship, qualifying his country for the Olympics for the first time since 2008.
He also led the United States to the quarterfinals at the 2023 FIFA Under-20 World Cup. “Mikey has not tried to short his way to the top,” Heaps said. “Mikey’s background speaks for itself.
He’s coached at every level in the soccer pyramid, and we think that’s extremely valuable in our organization.” In recent years, Varas’ name has been linked to other MLS jobs, and he was set to be in the mix for other MLS vacancies this winter. But he wanted to pick the right project, knowing there would be other options down the road.
It also had to be enticing enough to pull him away from the U.S. national team program.
After leading the USMNT as interim manager during the September window, Varas wasn’t about to depart U.S. Soccer for any job.
He likely would have been a candidate to be an assistant on Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT staff. “I had a World Cup on home soil on the horizon,” Varas said. “ I wasn’t going to give that up for just anything .
” Varas’ two games in charge of the senior national team were difficult under challenging circumstances, as the program was in the midst of a coaching transition and also missing several starters due to injury or club situations. They lost to Canada and drew New Zealand, but the experience was invaluable. “I learned so much,” Varas said.
“When you work with the U.S. national team, it’s the honor of a lifetime.
They are the best American players on the planet and on top of that, they’re incredible people. You learn from everyone literally every day. .
.. I could probably write a book of learnings from the one week.
” Curiosity and a constant quest for improvement are two traits San Diego value in their new head coach. “His willingness, eagerness to learn and be open-minded,” Heaps said. “I can’t tell you how many times after an interview he’d follow up with another thought.
That’s very rare in coaches. I’ve worked with coaches at every level in Europe and domestically, and that’s not always the case, to always challenge yourself and want to get better.” GIVEMESPORT digs through the MLS expected goals stats to unearth the trends that shape the league standings.
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