Sporting Kansas City announced Monday that Manager and Technical Director Peter Vermes has signed a contract extension with the club through the 2023 season.
“I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to continue to lead this club,” Vermes said. “Our ownership group has shown tremendous ambition over the last decade, and I am proud to be involved in a first-class organization that continues to grow and evolve at Sporting KC.
“We have a remarkably talented staff and a stadium and fan base that are second to none. Our players are committed to each other and to the club’s culture, which has played a crucial part in our sustained success over the last several seasons. I want to thank everyone involved at Sporting KC as well as our supporters for making this decision so easy, and I look forward to continuing this special journey for years to come.”
“This is a great day for Sporting Kansas City,” Sporting Club co-owner Mike Illig said. “Peter has become one of the most successful managers in the history of Major League Soccer, and we are delighted to extend his contract at the club. This long-term deal shows commitment from the organization and from Peter, who has helped the club accomplish remarkable things on and off the field for the last decade. He has guided the first team to four major championships and seven straight playoff appearances while playing an integral role in the development of the Sporting KC Academy, Swope Park Rangers and world-class facilities such as Children’s Mercy Park, Swope Soccer Village and Pinnacle. His passion, energy and attention to detail make him one of a kind, and we are excited for Peter to lead Sporting KC well into the future.”
Vermes, who became Sporting KC’s manager in 2009, has won four major championships at the helm — the 2013 MLS Cup and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup titles in 2012, 2015 and 2017. His trophy haul ranks as the second highest among active MLS coaches, trailing only Sigi Schmid of the LA Galaxy. Vermes is the club’s all-time winningest coach and the sixth winningest coach in MLS history, compiling a 121-93-76 regular-season record and a 150-108-86 mark in all competitions.
Currently the longest tenured manager in Major League Soccer, Vermes has led Sporting KC to a club-record seven straight appearances in the MLS Cup Playoffs. Under his guidance, Sporting KC has become the only American club in MLS to win four major trophies since 2012.
“Peter embodies Sporting Kansas City; a passion for the club and the city, a winning mentality, the relentless pursuit of perfection, and a drive to always improve,” Sporting KC CEO/President Jake Reid said. “His accomplishments over the past decade speak for themselves. We are thrilled to have him call Sporting KC home for at least five more years. His loyalty to the club, the city, the team and the ownership group is paramount. We are excited to have Peter at the helm for more great years ahead.”
Vermes, 51, is one of two MLS coaches to spend 10 consecutive seasons with the same club, alongside former New England Revolution coach Steve Nicol. His 10-year tenure with Sporting KC is the second longest all-time among Kansas City’s major professional sports franchises, behind Hank Stram of the Kansas City Chiefs (1963-1974).
Vermes was named Kansas City’s sixth manager on Aug. 4, 2009, and ushered in a new era of success at the turn of the decade. He propelled Sporting KC to first-place finishes in the Eastern Conference in 2011 and 2012, setting a club record with 63 points (18-7-9) during the 2012 campaign. That same year, he led the team to its first trophy in eight years when Sporting KC defeated Seattle Sounders FC in the 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final at Children’s Mercy Park.
Sporting KC reached even greater heights in 2013, winning the club’s second MLS Cup with a dramatic triumph over Real Salt Lake at Children’s Mercy Park as Vermes became the first person to win a League championship as a player and coach with the same team. He previously captained Kansas City to its first MLS Cup title in 2000 as a central defender.
After leading the side to another playoff berth in 2014, Vermes hoisted his second U.S. Open Cup in 2015, the same year he passed Bob Gansler as the club’s winningest coach. He steered Sporting KC to further postseason appearances in 2016 and 2017, claiming his third Open Cup title last September when Sporting KC topped the New York Red Bulls 2-1 on home soil.
Vermes has served as Sporting KC’s technical director since 2006. He oversees all soccer operations at the club, including scouting, roster management and the development of Swope Park Rangers and the Sporting KC Academy.
A native of Delran Township, New Jersey, Vermes embarked on a prosperous playing career that spanned from 1988-2002. He earned 67 caps for the United States Men’s National Team, notably representing his country at the 1988 Summer Olympics in South Korea and the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy.
Vermes was the first American player to compete in the top divisions of Hungary (1989) and the Netherlands (1990), then spent four seasons in Spain’s second division (1991-1995) before returning to the U.S. for Major League Soccer’s inaugural 1996 campaign. He started 208 of 209 MLS appearances over seven seasons, recording 11 goals and 19 assists while reaching the playoffs every year.
Vermes joined Kansas City ahead of the club’s historic 2000 season, winning the Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup double while earning MLS All-Star, Best XI and Defender of the Year accolades. He ended his playing career following the 2002 campaign, his third with Kansas City, and was elected to the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in 2013.
Peter Vermes as Sporting KC Manager (2009-present)
- 2013 MLS Cup champion
- Three-time Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup champion (2012, 2015, 2017)
- Club-record seven straight playoff appearances (2011-2017)
- Longest-tenured coach in MLS (2009-present)
- 150 wins in all competitions (most in club history)
- 344 games managed in all competitions (most in club history)
- 121 regular season wins (6th most in MLS history)
- 290 regular season games managed (7th most in MLS history)
