Why LA Galaxy Extended Greg Vanney and Didn't Think Twice About It | OneFootball

When LA Galaxy announced they had signed manager Greg Vanney to a contract extension through 2028, it shocked many around MLS.

How could a club extend a manager amid their worst-ever form without a single win in 13 regular-season matches?

On the surface, it made little sense; the Galaxy could have split with Vanney at any point and not had much to pay, given that he was in the last year of his contract.

Yet, they committed their future to him, and will hope that he can bring the club back to the heights they were at when they celebrated their 2024 MLS Cup, a night when the extension discussions began.

“We started negotiating at the MLS Cup after party. We knew it was the direction we wanted to go in,” Galaxy general manager Will Kuntz said in an interview. “As for why it took so long, I think the first part was that [Vanney] was selfless. He wanted to get the team settled first and then make sure we had the group we needed to have.”

Injuries and Lost Players Have Held the Galaxy Back

LA Galaxy superstar midfielder Riqui Puig has been sidelined in 2025 as he works his way back from an ACL injury. / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Since winning MLS Cup in Nov. 2024, the Galaxy have gone through a formative period. They lost key midfielders Mark Delgado and Gaston Brugman in the offseason and have had to start the season without key playmaker Riqui Puig, who is sidelined recovering from an ACL injury.

Additionally, Designated Player wingers Joseph Painstil and Gabriel Pec have been hampered by lesser injuries, limiting their impact and playing time.

Subscribe here to MLS Season Pass

The limited minutes for the team’s best players and Vanney’s record of winning MLS Cups in LA and with Toronto FC allowed the Galaxy to keep faith in the 50-year-old and trust him with the team's future.

“This season hasn't started the way any of us wanted to, but I think it's pretty clear this decision reflects our faith in Greg, and we're not being reactionary to results,” Kuntz added. “The results are not remotely Greg's fault... we do not doubt that we'll be right where we expect to be and where our fans expect us to be in the years to come.”

The Galaxy Stayed True to Initial Discussions

Throughout the process, Kuntz and the Galaxy reportedly stayed true to the initial discussions, even as the Galaxy faced challenging moments and dropped points.

While other sports leagues, especially in North America, may be wary of re-signing a coach amid a poor run of form, the Galaxy saw the situation differently in a league like MLS, where the salary cap can crush winning teams and high-profile injuries take a significant toll.

Additionally, they opted to announce the signing publicly as soon as possible, instead of waiting for a more positive moment for the club, which could come with an El Tráfico victory over their rival, LAFC, on Saturday.

“The challenges that [MLS] poses mean that a very good team and a well-run organization can be in a situation like this, when a few things don't go your way,” Kuntz said. “There [was] no value in waiting to see if the results get better or avoiding a big game. It's really important that we let everybody know that we're behind Greg, and this is something that we're not shying away from.”

Vanney Has Struggled After Winning MLS Cup Before

Greg Vanney brought Toronto FC back to MLS Cup final in 2019 after missing the playoffs in 2018 / Jennifer Buchanan-Imagn Images

It’s been a historically bad run for the Galaxy in 2025, but there is some precedent the club can lean on, hoping for a brighter future.

In his previous managerial role with Toronto FC, he led them to MLS Cup Finals in 2016 and 2017, before missing the playoffs in 2018, and returning to the final in 2019. Given the flow of MLS roster builds, it might be similar for the Galaxy.

“Getting to the finals and winning the championship last year. It doesn't mean that those things don't come with their down moments,” Vanney said. “Even in the time I had in Toronto when we went to [three] finals in [four] years, it wasn't like every year was perfect. We also had some challenges where, after we won championships, we had to rebuild some of the roster.”

The postseason might not even be out of the picture for the team in 2025. Despite their poor form, there’s still the possibility of Puig leading a miraculous run, or a midseason addition in an effort to close the gap on the ninth and final playoff spot.

The new deal isn’t about 2025 or the hopes of a legendary bounce back, but rather the club's faith that Vanney can continue building their project and bring them back to contention as he did in Toronto.

“This is about the Galaxy being champions and continuing to focus on being champions and recognizing and being honest about the facts and challenges that we're facing,” the manager added. “Always looking at the solutions and always looking at working together to continue to build forward, because success is the only thing that matters.”