GOAL takes a look into why the LA Galaxy opted to extend Vanney's contract amid their winless start to 2025
LA Galaxy manager Greg Vanney admitted he was "uncomfortable" having a press conference after signing a multi-year contract extension with the club last week. He said it felt like a "selfish" moment, considering the 2024 MLS Cup champions are sitting at arguably the lowest point in club history: winless in 14-straight matches to begin the 2025 season.
“What I’m a little bit uncomfortable with is that … there’s a little bit of a spotlight on me that’s something positive,” Vanney said following the announcement. “Because I feel like, I feel guilty for that moment, when really in the moment, it should be about all of us fighting like MF-ers, if you will, to battle for the next one. It feels a little bit selfish to me.”
It’s been an unprecedented collapse from the reigning champions – the worst start to a season in league history, with just four points. And yet, the Galaxy doubled down on their belief in Greg Vanney – the man who led them to their first MLS Cup title in a decade last season – by handing him a contract extension that makes him one of the highest-paid coaches in the league. They did so at a time when fans were calling for his firing, criticism was mounting, and morale was at an all-time low.
By any measure, it’s unorthodox. A 14-game winless run – in any league, anywhere – is typically grounds for dismissal. Early in the season, there were a few justifications for a slow start: the club was barely three months removed from a championship, and the roster had been hit hard by turnover and injuries. Still, for the Galaxy to not only stay the course but commit to Vanney with a long-term extension amid real turmoil? It was an unprecedented move – and by all accounts, a bold one.
With this extension, LA is putting their credibility on the line. It knows that if this backfires, the fallout could be explosive.
They’ve gone all in. And while the criticism looms large, there are also understandable reasons why they chose this moment to show faith in their coach.
Vanney's resume speaks for itself – he's a two-time MLS Cup champion. He also has the backing of his players and the full belief of the team leaders to turn the ship around. And this contract extension? It's been in the works for a while, and general manager Will Kuntz wasn't going to back down on a promise.
GOAL digs in on why the team decided to make this bold choice.
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Following their 2024 MLS Cup triumph, Kuntz, per The Athletic, made a handshake agreement with Vanney that led to LA's decision to re-sign their manager. Following their victory, it was a move that made a lot of sense for both parties. Vanney was being rewarded for leading the Galaxy to their sixth MLS Cup title and first since 2014, and for LA, they would lock down their star manager to a multi-year deal with just one season remaining on his now-previous contract.
Fast forward to the announcement, though, and Kuntz is a believer that Vanney is still deserving of the deal – even with the turmoil surrounding their camp at the moment.
“There’s so much that you can point to that’s not on Greg and the staff," Kuntz told The Athletic, speaking of roster turnover and injuries on the roster since their MLS Cup triumph.
The Galaxy lost star midfielder Riqui Puig to an ACL tear during their Western Conference final victory over the Seattle Sounders last year in the postseason, and their other two Designated Players – Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil – have both missed time due to respective injuries to begin the campaign. On top of that, the club also lost star striker Dejan Joveljic to the transfer market, with the 25-year-old joining Sporting Kansas City in a $4M deal ahead of the start of the campaign.
“I know I’ve talked a lot about roster rules, and I don’t say it to be defensive, but I think it’s a reality of our league,” Kuntz said. “If you’re going to lose a DP and another high-earning player, it makes it really difficult.”
Kuntz added that he remembered a conversation he had with a contact at MLB club New York Yankees during their current run of form on the topic of pressure – with the Galaxy GM acknowledging there is a lack of it amid their struggles from both fans and local media.
“He was saying, ‘You realize that you would be fired if this was baseball, right?’ And so we understand that it’s a little bit different,” admitted Kuntz. “I think part of why it’s different is that it is MLS. And that’s not to say that the league isn’t a league that does things seriously, but the challenges that the league poses means that you can be a very good team, and a well-run organization could be in a situation like this, when a few things don’t go your way.”
The Galaxy's choice to back Vanney, instead of turning against him while things are bad is a sign that they truly believe in him, a show of unity and strength between the front office and the man they've elected to represent them on the touchline.
That strength and unity have extended to the pitch, too, with his players backing him as well.
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Following the announcement of Vanney's extension, Puig offered support for his manager on social media.
“This journey isn’t over yet. I came to LA to win titles, just like we did last season,” Puig wrote on X. “It wouldn’t be the same without our coach by our side. We believe in the process. Let’s keep pushing forward together!”
A few weeks prior, Puig also backed Vanney, quoting a Galaxy fan account that posed the question of whether it was time to start considering if Vanney should be fired. The former Barcelona starlet posted saying "NO," while former Galaxy player Chris Mavinga added a post saying "thank you" towards Puig for standing up for Vanney.
With the Galaxy's star player and 2024 MLS MVP candidate backing him publicly, it's become increasingly clear that Vanney has yet to lose the locker room, despite their rocky start to the campaign. It's a positive sign that even amid the negativity surrounding the club right now, there is still hope and belief that they will be able to turn things around.
With that, there's also logic behind the extension. Vanney isn't just some random coach with little pedigree. Perhaps this is LA trusting an experienced veteran with a resume that deserves a period of grace following their emphatic triumph last December.
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Vanney is a two-time Champion, winning his first MLS Cup as a head coach in 2017 with Toronto FC. With that roster, he led them to the Supporters' Shield title and MLS Cup in the same year, storming through the postseason with the Canadian side. Across his time with TFC and the Galaxy, Vanney has amassed 141 regular-season wins – the fourth-most among active MLS coaches. In addition to that, he's led teams to four MLS Cup finals since 2014, tied for the second-most behind only Bruce Arena.
That's not a fluke on a resume, it takes a lot to achieve such a feat.
“Greg is one of the most respected and successful coaches in MLS history, and we are excited to be continuing under his leadership,” said Kuntz in announcing Vanney's extension. “While this season’s results haven’t reflected our standards, this was a decision made following our 2024 MLS Cup victory, and we remain confident in the project we are building with Greg, and we have a clear path forward to returning to an MLS champion level. Greg’s commitment to development, culture, and high standards is unwavering.”
Vanney, a former Galaxy star himself, won a Supporters’ Shield, three Western Conference titles, and the 2000 CONCACAF Champions Cup with the club. There are very few who know the ins and outs of the organization like him, but with that, he's putting everything on the line here by committing to the club long term. If he fails, there are bridges burned, if he cannot come back from this, it's a move that could potentially dampen his legacy at the club.
Is that worth it?
For LA meanwhile, there are harsh implications regardless of what success they find the rest of the season. If going winless garners a contract extension for Vanney, how bad do things have to get for him to be put on the hot seat?
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There were a shocking 12 coaching changes during the 2024 MLS season, and 14 weeks into the current campaign, there have already been two dismissals. Both CF Montreal's Laurent Courtois and Sporting Kansas City's Peter Vermes were removed from their positions, and a third may be on the horizon, too, with St. Louis CITY SC manager Olof Mellberg reportedly in hot water.
Vanney has instead been offered a security blanket, despite the team's poor performance this season. For league observers, it's a head-scratching move.
Fans aren't thrilled, and some critics are hitting out. Apple TV analyst Bradley Wright-Phillips has asked to see more from Vanney, while former U.S. international and FOX Soccer analyst Alexi Lalas labeled both Vanney and LA's performances of late a "historic fall from grace."
The critics have their place – and rightfully so – but none of it seems to matter to Vanney. He believes a turnaround is imminent, and with the club backing him and his players still responding to his voice, why shouldn’t he?
“This is the club that has given me so much opportunity as a player and as a coach," Vanney added. "We just won a championship, and I believe there’s many more in our future.”
