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Jeff Carlisle
According to multiple sources, the Colorado Rapids are likely to name Matt Wells, an assistant coach for Tottenham Hotspur, as their new manager.
Wells, 37, takes over from Chris Armas, who concluded his contract at the end of the 2025 season and was unable to negotiate a new agreement with the MLS club.
Wells is expected to arrive in Colorado next week after Sunday’s match against Nottingham Forest.
Sources indicate that Wells plans to bring several assistant coaches with him, although current Rapids assistant and goalkeeper coach Chris Sharpe is set to stay.
The Athletic broke the news first.
Wells has extensive coaching experience, having been an assistant coach for Tottenham’s under-18 team and their development squad, and working under Scott Parker at various clubs including Fulham, Bournemouth, and Club Brugge.
He rejoined Spurs in April 2023 as an assistant and then remained with the coaching staff under Thomas Frank after he was hired in June 2025.
Although Wells joined Tottenham’s youth academy when he was nine, career injuries led him to shift to coaching, a path he started by obtaining his UEFA B license at just 20.
Wells will take charge of a team that has faced challenges in building consistent performance in MLS, making the playoffs only four times in the past 12 seasons, with just once in the last four years.
In the 2025 season, the Rapids narrowly missed out on a playoff spot, finishing 11th in the 15-team Western Conference. However, the team’s lineup features promising talents, including midfielder Paxten Aaronson and veteran players like goalkeeper Zack Steffen and defender Reggie Cannon.