San Diego FC on Monday named Mikey Varas as the club's first coach, taking over the new squad as it prepares for its inaugural season in 2025.
Varas most recently served as interim coach of the U.S. Men's National Soccer team where he was recently replaced by Mauricio Pochettino.
"We believe Mikey is the perfect choice to lead San Diego FC as the club's first Head Coach," said SDFC Chairman Mohamed Mansour. "As we prepare for our inaugural season, Mikey's leadership, desire to win now, and his deep understanding of player development make him the ideal choice to guide our club forward."
Before taking the interim helm from Gregg Berhalter, Varas coached the under-20 squad to a 8-3-3 record during his first 14 months, including a victory at the 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship. In 2022, he served as an opponent scout for the USMNT at the FIFA World Cup.
"Mikey embodies the values and ambitions of San Diego FC," said SDFC Sporting Director Tyler Heaps. "His ideas on the game and how it should be played align with ours and his commitment and energy throughout the process is one that we feel connects with this community and our vision for the club.
"We have big aspirations for SDFC, and we believe Mikey has the right drive, passion, and leadership to help us build a winning culture."
Before joining the national team, Varas was an assistant coach at FC Dallas for three years, helping that squad to the Major League Soccer playoffs twice.
"The opportunity to build something special from the ground up, with such ambitious and committed ownership, and in a city with such a passionate fan base, is truly exciting," Varas said. "I look forward to working with the team and the community to develop a winning culture from the start. I will give everything to this club and the people of San Diego."
Varas played soccer for four years at the University of San Francisco and trained with Chile's Santiago Wanderers before moving into coaching.
