New York City FC will be looking for a new head coach this offseason.
Less than 24 hours after the club played its final match of the 2026 season, NYCFC announced that it fired head coach Pascal Jansen. NYCFC finished this season in 11th place and had been eliminated from playoff contention before this weekend’s Decision Day matchup with D.C. United, missing out on the postseason for just the third time since the club joined MLS in 2015.
“We would like to thank Pascal for his commitment and contributions to New York City FC and wish him and his family all the best,” sporting director Todd Dunivant said in a statement issued Sunday morning. “This decision follows a thorough review of the season and reflects our ambition as an organization. The search for our next Head Coach begins immediately as we prepare for the 2027 Sprint Season and build toward the opening of Etihad Park.”
Questions about Jansen’s future with NYCFC had started to bubble during the final months of the season as the club collapsed in the second half of the regular season, with losses and draws piling up with few wins in between.
NYCFC had made it a habit of allowing late goals in matches that would either cost them points in the standings or the game entirely, as they fell out of playoff contention. NYCFC won just three matches following the return to play after the Leagues Cup break in August.
Jansen had said last month that he had not talked with the front office about his future if the club did not make the postseason.
“We are grateful for Pascal’s dedication during his time with the Club,” New York City FC CEO Brad Sims said in a statement. “We recognize the disappointment of missing the playoffs, and I’d like to thank our fans for their incredible support. As we look ahead to an exciting and historic new chapter for the Club next year, our commitment to consistently competing at the highest level and bringing more trophies to New York City remains unchanged.”
Jansen took over as head coach in 2025 and led the club to a fifth-place finish and a surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals, where NYCFC lost to Inter Miami.
With the MLS Sprint Season beginning in mid-February, and NYCFC moving into a brand new stadium in Queens in the summer, the selection of the next head coach will take on an even greater importance for the club as they look to begin a new era in the franchise’s history on good footing.
