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Jeff Kassouf
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Jeff Kassouf
ESPN
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Jeff Kassouf reports on women’s soccer for ESPN, specializing in the USWNT and NWSL. He founded The Equalizer in 2009, a news outlet dedicated to women’s soccer, and has previously earned a Sports Emmy at NBC Sports and Olympics.
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Jeff Carlisle
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Jeff Carlisle
U.S. soccer correspondent
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Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC.
According to multiple sources, the Kansas City Current have reached an agreement to appoint Chris Armas as their new head coach.
While the hiring process is still being finalized and is subject to standard league approvals for coaches, it is expected to be confirmed shortly, sources indicated.
Armas, a former U.S. player and MLS champion, recently coached the Colorado Rapids until they parted ways after the 2025 season.
Kansas City has been looking for a head coach following the decision to have Vlatko Andonovski transition to solely serving as the sporting director, a title he held alongside coaching the team. The Current had a historic 2025 season, clinching the NWSL Shield 21 points ahead of the second-place Washington Spirit.
Despite their success in the regular season, Kansas City faced an upset in the playoffs, losing to eighth-seed Gotham FC in the first round.
Armas’ appointment is somewhat unexpected, particularly considering the potential successors in Kansas City’s assistant coaches, Milan Ivanovic and Freya Coombe, who were seen as strong candidates. Andonovski referred to them as “strong candidates” in a November interview with ESPN.
Ivanovic, having a long-standing relationship with Andonovski and serving as his assistant for a decade, was thought to be the frontrunner for the role.
Armas’ hiring indicates a desire for change within the Current, despite recent achievements, as he largely brings experience from the men’s game.
In 2018, he became head coach of the New York Red Bulls, leading them to that year’s Supporters Shield but faced difficulties in maintaining success and was dismissed in September 2020.
Armas then managed Toronto FC in 2021, but his tenure lasted just 11 league matches, marked by a well-known conflict with star striker Jozy Altidore.
However, he had more success during his two years with Colorado, making it to the playoffs in 2024 and narrowly missing out on postseason play in 2025. His only experience in women’s soccer was a four-season role with Adelphi University’s women’s team, where he played in college.
Additionally, Armas served as an assistant at Manchester United and Leeds United during his breaks from coaching at Toronto and Colorado.
Armas had a notable playing career, recognized as an MLS All-Star six times and a member of the MLS Best XI five times while playing for the LA Galaxy and Chicago Fire. He was part of the Fire’s squad that won the MLS Cup in 1998 and secured four U.S. Open Cup titles with the team.
At the international level, Armas represented the United States in 66 matches.