KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Sporting Kansas City Manager and Sporting Director Peter Vermes has signed a five-year contract extension through the 2028 season, the club announced Wednesday.
Vermes, entering his 15th season as Sporting’s manager, has hoisted four major championships—the 2013 MLS Cup and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups in 2012, 2015 and 2017.
His 15-season run at the helm of Sporting is the longest in Kansas City professional sports history. He is also the longest-tenured head coach in MLS history and one of the longest-serving managers across all soccer leagues.
He is the only active MLS manager to win three U.S. Open Cup titles and his four major trophies rank third among active head coaches behind only New England Revolution’s Bruce Arena and Toronto FC’s Bob Bradley.
Vermes has led the club to 10 playoff appearances, the fourth-most by a head coach in MLS history, and is the league’s fourth-winningest coach all-time with 183 regular season victories.
His 516 total matches as a manager for Sporting are the most ever at one MLS club. Vermes sits fourth in MLS history with 437 regular season games coached.
“Peter is a superlative strategic thinker who loves to win and hates to lose,” said Mike Illig, Sporting KC co-owner and executive director. “He continuously demonstrates his commitment to our ownership’s objective to elevate Sporting KC as a perennial contender in a league that grows tougher and tougher every year. He is also fully dedicated to our long-term strategy of developing young, high-potential players into the next generation of Sporting professionals. Over the last 14 seasons, Peter has earned the recognition and respect of many across soccer regionally, nationally and throughout the MLS community. We trust that his intrepid leadership will help bring more titles to this club and city.”
Vermes first joined Kansas City as a player ahead of the club’s 2000 season, winning the Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup while earning MLS All-Star, Best XI and Defender of the Year accolades. He ended his playing career following the 2002 season, his third with Kansas City, and has appeared as a player or head coach in a record 670 MLS matches (including playoffs and MLS is Back Tournament).
After serving as the club's technical director, Vermes was hired as a head coach in 2009.
2013 for Vermes was one for the books as he became the first to win an MLS Cup as a player and coach with the same team, coached the MLS All-Stars in the MLS All-Star Game at Children’s Mercy Park and was inducted into the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame.
In early 2019, Vermes was named the inaugural MLS Sporting Executive of the Year.
Vermes’ club is coming off a disappointing 2022 season where Sporting missed the playoffs for just the second time in a decade.
He told KSHB 41 Sports reporter Aaron Ladd back in January that he is “motivated” heading into the 2023 season.
Sporting KC will begin the 2023 season Feb. 25 against the Portland Timbers at Providence Park in Portland.
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