KC Current to hire Chris Armas as next head coach

The Kansas City Current are finalizing a deal to make Chris Armas the next head coach. They are waiting for league clearance as is standard to complete the deal. This was initially reported by ESPN but has been independently verified by sources to the KC Soccer Journal. “The club cannot confirm at this time” was the official response from a club spokesperson.

Armas played for the United States National Team and both the Los Angeles Galaxy and Chicago Fire in MLS. Armas went on to manage the New York Red Bulls, Toronto FC and the Colorado Rapids in MLS. He also had brief stints with Manchester United and Leeds United in varying coach roles.

His latest coaching stint at Colorado ended after two seasons when the Rapids failed to make the playoffs. The Rapids and Armas parted ways in October. Colorado finished 11-8-15 with -12 Goal Differential. The Armas managed Rapids had a PPG of just 1.37 and ignominiously lost twice to Sporting Kansas City in 2025.

This will be the first time Armas coaches a professional women’s team. He coached the Adelphi University women’s team for four seasons over a decade ago (2011-14). Armas played at Adelphi in the early 1990’s.

When Vlatko Andonovski shocked the league by announcing he was transitioning into a new role as the club’s global sporting director, a search began for his successor.

This signing comes as a surprise for multiple reasons. The lack of experience in professional women’s soccer, much less in NWSL, the lack of success in MLS, and the wealth of potential candidates make the Armas appointment curious. Kansas City won the shield in 2025 and are returning a strong roster with talented youth signings. The Current owners seem willing to spend on players to build that roster. Add in that the Current control their own stadium and have their own training center, attracting quality and successful coaches from around the league and the world should be easy.

If the Current did not want to look worldwide, Vlatko Andonovski’s two assistant coaches. Milan Ivanovic and Freya Coombe would naturally be strong candidates. Ivanovic has been Andonovski’s right hand since his time with FC Kanass City. Ivanovic followed him to the Seattle Reign, then the US Women’s National Team, and finally with the Current. Coombe has coached in the NWSL with Gotham and Angel City FC and would also have been a likely candidate. Coombe helped lead the Current team that played in the World Sevens Football Tournament.

Rapids to the Current does at least keep a water theme going for Armas.