Sporting Kansas City and Manager Peter Vermes agreed to part ways, concluding his successful tenure as the longest-serving coach in MLS and among the longest-serving globally.
Sporting has appointed Kerry Zavagnin as their interim head coach, effective immediately.
Vermes stated that naming everyone he wanted to thank after two decades of managing Sporting Kansas City would be difficult.
“ I am grateful to everyone, particularly the owners, for allowing me to lead this club for the last twenty years. I sincerely hope the club continues to thrive”.
Taking on the role of Sporting’s technical director in November 2006, Vermes transitioned to head coach in 2009, establishing a winning culture and leading one of the most remarkable turnarounds in MLS history. Under Vermes’ guidance, the team’s performance blossomed, becoming a perennial championship contender and an exemplary MLS organization.
In addition to winning the 2013 MLS Cup and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup titles in 2012, 2015, and 2017, Vermes led the club to 11 playoff appearances (eight straight from 2011-2018) and four regular-season first-place finishes.
He’s the only person to win the MLS Cup as a player and coach for the same team—Kansas City’s 2000 title as a defender—and he had the most Open Cup titles (three) of any active MLS coach in 2025.
With 203 regular season wins, he’s third on the all-time MLS chart and the longest-serving head coach in Kansas City professional sports history.
Sporting’s Vermes managed a record 609 matches across all competitions, over half of the club’s 30-year history, a feat unsurpassed by any other MLS manager at a single club. With 511 regular season games coached, he’s third all-time; his 17 seasons leading Sporting surpassed any other active MLS coach by at least seven.
Inducted into the U.S., Vermes’s exceptional leadership and strategic vision led to his 2019 MLS Sporting Executive of the Year award, which added to his 2013 Soccer Hall of Fame induction and showcased his contribution to Sporting’s sustained success, particularly through the Sporting Kansas City Academy and Sporting KC II.
Vermes, originally from Delran Township, New Jersey, had a remarkable playing career spanning 1988-2002. His versatility in attack, midfield, and defense was evident in his 67 caps for the U.S. men’s national team, including appearances at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. He debuted in Hungary’s and Netherlands’ top divisions in 1989 and 1990, respectively, then played four seasons in Spain’s second division (1991-1995) before joining Major League Soccer in 1996.
In seven seasons, Vermes appeared in 208 of 209 MLS games, contributing 11 goals and 19 assists and making the playoffs annually. His arrival at Kansas City preceded their historic 2000 season; he secured the Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup, alongside MLS All-Star, Best XI, and Defender of the Year awards. Following the 2002 campaign, his third season with Kansas City, he retired from playing and has since been involved in an MLS-record 681 matches as a player or coach.
Credit: sportingkc.com
