Michael Anthony Varas (born December 7, 1982) is an American soccer coach who is the head coach of San Diego FC of Major League Soccer (MLS). He was formerly an assistant coach with the United States men's national soccer team (USMNT) and briefly served as its interim head coach in 2024.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Michael Anthony Varas | ||
| Date of birth | December 7, 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Burlingame, California, U.S. | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | San Diego FC (head coach) | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2001–2004 | San Francisco Dons | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2005 | Santiago Wanderers | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 2016–2017 | Sacramento Republic (academy) | ||
| 2017–2019 | FC Dallas (academy) | ||
| 2019–2021 | FC Dallas (assistant) | ||
| 2021–2023 | United States U20 | ||
| 2023–2024 | United States (assistant) | ||
| 2024 | United States (interim) | ||
| 2024– | San Diego FC | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13:34, September 9, 2024 (UTC) | |||
Early life and education
editMikey Varas was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. He was born to a Chilean father and American mother.[1] He played collegiate soccer for four years at the University of San Francisco. Following his college career, Varas spent a season with Santiago Wanderers in Chile. Despite a promising start as a player, Varas decided to transition into coaching shortly after his time in Chile.[2] He holds a U.S. Soccer “A” Coaching License[3] and is fluent in Spanish. Varas also earned a master’s degree in kinesiology with an emphasis in physical education from Fresno Pacific University.[4]
Coaching career
editEarly coaching career
editMikey Varas began his coaching journey in California, where he held various coaching positions that contributed to his development as a coach. His early career saw him take on roles such as Director of Coaching for Burlingame’s Gamer Futsal School and Regional Coordinator for the NorCal Premier Soccer Player Development Program. He also coached U-12, U-17, and U-19 teams at De Anza Force in the ECNL before joining the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.[4]
Sacramento Republic and FC Dallas
editIn 2016, Varas joined the Sacramento Republic academy,[5] where he was named U.S. Soccer Development Academy West Conference U-14 coach of the year after just one season.[4] His success at Sacramento caught the attention of FC Dallas, where he was hired as the U-16 head coach in 2017.[4]
Varas's work with FC Dallas quickly gained recognition, and in 2019, he was promoted to assistant coach for the first team under head coach Luchi Gonzalez.[6] During his time with FC Dallas, the club made consecutive MLS Cup playoff appearances, bolstered by the contributions of several homegrown players such as Reggie Cannon, Paxton Pomykal, and Ricardo Pepi. Varas played a key role in developing these young talents, many of whom would later represent the senior U.S. men's national team.[7]
United States
editVaras was appointed head coach of the United States U-20 men's national team on November 5, 2021.[8] His appointment was seen as a strategic move by U.S. Soccer, given his proven track record in youth development. In 2022, Varas led the U-20 team to victory in the CONCACAF U-20 Championship, securing the team's third consecutive title in the competition.[9]
However, his success at the regional level did not fully translate to the global stage. In the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, the United States reached the quarterfinals before being eliminated by Uruguay.[10] Despite the early exit, Varas was praised for his ability to develop young talent and prepare them for higher levels of competition.
He was named interim head coach of the United States men's national team on September 1, 2024 amidst the program's search for a full-time replacement for Gregg Berhalter. Varas had scouted the USMNT's opponents during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[11] His record during his two-friendly stint was 0–1–1. His first match was a 2–1 loss at Children's Mercy Park on September 7 which was the second-ever defeat to Canada on home soil and the first since 1957.[12] The other was a 1–1 draw with New Zealand at TQL Stadium on September 10.[13] Mauricio Pochettino was announced as Varas' full-time successor just hours prior to the New Zealand contest.[14]
San Diego FC
editOn September 16, 2024, Varas was named the first-ever head coach of Major League Soccer's San Diego FC, which will begin play in 2025.[15]
References
edit- ^ Wahl, Grant (July 2, 2022). "The Interview: Mikey Varas".
- ^ "Get to know Mikey Varas, the coach leading USMNT this September". Yahoo Sports. August 15, 2024. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
- ^ Dallas, F. C. "How a Chance Encounter in Arizona Led Assistant Coach Mikey Varas to Texas and Luchi Gonzalez's Staff". FC Dallas. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Mikey Varas Named Head Coach of U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team". www.ussoccer.com. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
- ^ "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
- ^ Thompson, Jackson (August 17, 2024). "Next potential USMNT coach Mikey Varas believes kids gain advantage from 'unsupervised activity in streets'". Fox News. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
- ^ "Mikey Varas hired as USMNT Under-20 head coach, names first squad - SBI Soccer". sbisoccer.com. November 6, 2021. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
- ^ "Mikey Varas Named Head Coach of U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team," U.S. Soccer, Friday, November 5, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ "U.S. Under-20 Men's Youth National Team Wins Third Straight Concacaf U-20 Championship Title With Strong 6-0 Victory Vs. Dominican Republic". www.ussoccer.com. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
- ^ "USA's FIFA U-20 World Cup Run Ends With 2-0 Quarterfinal Loss To Uruguay | U.S. Soccer Official Website". www.ussoccer.com. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
- ^ "24-Player U.S. Men's National Team Training Camp Roster Selected For September Matches Against Canada And New Zealand," U.S. Soccer, Sunday, September 1, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ "Second-Half Rally Comes Up Short as U.S. Men’s National Team Falls 2–1 to Canada in International Friendly," U.S. Soccer, Saturday, September 7, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ "USMNT Draws New Zealand 1–1 at TQL Stadium In International Friendly," U.S. Soccer, Wednesday, September 11, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ "Mauricio Pochettino Named Head Coach of U.S. Men's National Team," U.S. Soccer, Tuesday, September 10, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ "San Diego FC Names Mikey Varas Head Coach". San Diego FC. September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.