Kansas City Current Appoints Chris Armas as New Head Coach

The Kansas City Current have confirmed their decision to hire Chris Armas as the team’s new head coach, according to multiple sources reported by ESPN.

The hiring process is currently in its final stages and awaits the standard league approval for all coaching personnel, but an official announcement is anticipated shortly, sources indicated.

Armas, who is a former player for the United States and an MLS champion, most recently served as head coach of the Colorado Rapids before parting ways with the team at the conclusion of the 2025 season.

The Kansas City Current had been actively searching for a head coach following the announcement that Vlatko Andonovski would transition from coaching to a full-time role as sporting director, a position he had held concurrently while managing the team. In 2025, the Current achieved remarkable success by winning the NWSL Shield, finishing 21 points ahead of the second-place Washington Spirit.

Despite their impressive regular-season performance, the Current faced an unexpected defeat against the eighth-seeded Gotham FC in the first round of the playoffs.

Armas’ appointment is noteworthy, not only due to his MLS background but also because assistant coaches Milan Ivanovic and Freya Coombe were considered frontrunners for the head coach position. Andonovski had referred to both as “strong candidates” in a November interview with ESPN.

Ivanovic appeared to be the leading candidate for the role, given his close connection to Andonovski, having served as his top assistant for a decade across various teams including FC Kansas City, Seattle Reign, and the USWNT before joining the Current.

The decision to hire Armas indicates that the Current’s leadership is seeking a new direction, despite the team’s recent achievements, as Armas has primarily focused on the men’s side of the sport throughout his managerial career.

Armas first took the helm at the New York Red Bulls in 2018 following Jesse Marsch’s departure to RB Salzburg. During his tenure, Armas led the Red Bulls to that year’s Supporters Shield but struggled to maintain that success, leading to his dismissal in September 2020.

In 2021, he became the manager of Toronto FC but lasted only 11 league matches, which included a notable public dispute with star striker Jozy Altidore.

Armas found more success during his two-year stint with Colorado, guiding the team to the playoffs in 2024 and narrowly missing the postseason in 2025. His only previous experience in women’s soccer was a four-season tenure with the Adelphi University women’s team, where he also played collegiately.

Additionally, Armas had brief spells as an assistant coach at Manchester United and Leeds United between his time at Toronto and Colorado.

As a player, Armas enjoyed a distinguished career, earning six MLS All-Star selections and five MLS Best XI honors during his time with the LA Galaxy and Chicago Fire. He was a member of the Fire’s 1998 MLS Cup-winning squad and contributed to four U.S. Open Cup victories with the club.

On the international stage, Armas represented the United States in 66 matches.