Austin FC part ways with Nico Estévez, Rodolfo Borrell | OneFootball

By Jaime Uribarri

Austin FC have parted ways with head coach Nico Estévez and sporting director Rodolfo Borrell, the club announced Monday.

Assistant coach Davy Arnaud has been appointed interim manager, while the Verde & Black have also implemented an interim leadership structure for soccer operations.

The club has begun its search for a permanent head coach and sporting director.

“Nico has been a trusted ambassador for Austin FC and Austin during his time as head coach,” said chief executive officer and majority owner Anthony Precourt.

“We believe this team can compete for a playoff position, and given our results thus far, a change is necessary to achieve our goals of qualifying for the playoffs this year and becoming a consistent winner in this league.”   

Added Precourt of Borrell: "We are grateful to Rodo for his tireless dedication to improving the club. Ultimately, we believe this decision is in the best interest of Austin FC.

"We know that our fans and our community deserve a winner, and our ownership group will continue to make the necessary decisions in order to deliver consistently strong results across competitions.”

Leadership legacy

Borrell took over as sporting director in June 2023, overseeing the acquisition of high-profile Designated Players Brandon Vazquez, Facundo Torres and club-record signing Myrto Uzuni. 

Meanwhile, Estévez was appointed Austin head coach ahead of the 2025 season. He replaced inaugural manager Josh Wolff, who led the club for four years, beginning with their 2021 expansion campaign.

The former FC Dallas head coach and US men's national team assistant posted a 20W-23L-13D record in 56 all-competition matches in charge of the Verde & Black. 

Estevez guided Austin back to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in 2025 after a two-year absence, in addition to that year's US Open Cup Final. 

However, the Verde & Black currently sit in 13th place in the Western Conference standings, five points behind postseason positioning. They've gone winless in their last three games, including Saturday's 2-1 home loss to last-place Sporting Kansas City. 

Arnaud, who coached Austin in their 2024 regular-season finale, also served as interim manager for Houston Dynamo FC over a nine-game stint in 2019.

He'll be on the sidelines when Austin visit St. Louis CITY SC on Saturday in the final game before the 2026 FIFA World Cup pause (2:45 pm ET | Apple TV; FOX, FOX Deportes).