Since the start of 2020, MLS clubs have combined to hire more than 60 managers. Of those coaches, only three previously held the head job at an independent USL Championship club. One, Steve Cherundolo, came from a Las Vegas Lights organization that was loosely affiliated with LAFC to begin with. The other two came from New Mexico United.
In a pyramid with very little interconnection, United stands out. How has New Mexico continued to strike gold, balancing their status as a launching pad with on-field success and stellar coaching hires?
In 2022, Troy Lesesne made the jump from New Mexico to an assistant role for MLS’s New York Red Bulls. Lesesne stepped in as their head coach in 2023, then moved to DC United in 2024 with Zach Prince – his replacement back in Albuquerque – as a lead assistant. The club’s next head coach, Eric Quill, took New Mexico to a #1 seed that year before taking over FC Dallas ahead of 2025.
With New Mexico fresh off another top-three finish and set to contest this Saturday’s Western Conference final, it’s possible to imagine Dennis Sanchez getting an MLS coaching role down the line. If he does, it’ll bolster New Mexico’s position as the premier breeding ground for up-and-coming coaches in American soccer.
