A 2-1 loss to last-place Sporting Kansas City was the final straw for Austin FC leadership, with the club announcing Monday, May 18 that it has fired manager Nico Estevez and sporting director Rodolfo Borrell.
Austin FC started play in 2021 in front of sell-out crowds in a city that previously had no professional sports team. It made the playoffs in its sophomore season but has since struggled to match the energy off the field and within the four lines of the field.
Estevez returned the club to the playoffs last year in a first-round exit and also pushed Austin to the final of the U.S. Open Cup. But a 3W-6L-5D start to the MLS season and early USOC elimination at the hands of lower-division Louisville City led directors to make a change.
“I think the evaluation has to be at the end of the season, right? Give time to see if I can get the team in the playoff, right? Because at the end of the day I perceive because of this six years – some of these years didn’t go in the right way – I’m grabbing all these years where I wasn’t here,” Estevez said after the SKC loss. “For me, it’s like I’m having a bad five months.
“We play a final, the first time in the history of the club. No one expected that and not so many teams play finals. Then, we qualified in the playoffs. This moment is my lowest moment in the club. That’s right. But I feel like I’m carrying four years where I wasn’t here.”
But Estevez won’t get the chance to try to put the team in the playoffs, with Austin FC retaining Excel Sports Management to lead a new coaching search as the World Cup break approaches.
More: Sam Sarver’s beer-chug celebration will go down in MLS lore
March 22: San Diego FC’s Marcus Ingvartsen celebrates after scoring a goal against Real Salt Lake at Snapdragon Stadium. San Diego FC and RSL played to a 2-2 draw.
March 21: St. Louis City’s Simon Becher (11) tackles the ball away from the New England Revolutio’ns Matt Polster at Energizer Park. St. Louis City won the match, 3-1.
March 21: Orlando City goalkeeper Maxime Crapeau (71) blocks the header by Nashville SC’s Sam Surridge during the first half at Geodis Park. Nashville SC won the match, 5-0.
March 21: Toronto FC goalkeeper Luka Gavran makes a play on the ball in front of Columbus Crew forward Jamal Thiaré (during the second half at BMO Field. TFC won the match, 2-1.
March 15: The Vancouver Whitecaps’ Mathías Laborda (2) scores against the Minnesota United en route to a 6-0 rout of Minnesota at BC Place.
March 14: San Diego FC’s Jeppe Tverskov (6) heads the ball during the second half against FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium. The game ended in a 3-3 tie.
March 7: A tifo is seen before the game between the Chicago Fire and Columbus Crew at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field. The game ended in a 0-0 draw.
March 1: Inter Miami’s German Berterame controls the ball against Orlando City during the second half at Inter&Co Stadium. Inter Miami won the game, 4-2.
Feb. 28: Los Angeles FC’s Denis Bouanga and the Houston Dynamo’s Antonio Carlos (left) compete for possession during the first half at Shell Energy Stadium. LAFC won the match, 2-0.
Feb. 28: The Chicago Fire’s Jonathan Dean (24) and CF Montrea’s Hennadii Synchuk battle for control of the ball during the second half at Soldier Field. Chicago won the match, 3-0.
Feb. 22: The Seattle Sounders’ Paul Rothrock celebrates after scoring a goal against the Colorado Rapids at Lumen Field. Seattle won the match, 2-0.
Feb. 21: FC Cincinnati’s Gerardo Valenzuela (center) has his shot blocked by Atlanta United’s Elias Baez(left) during the first half at TQL Stadium. FC Cincinnati won the match, 2-0.
Feb. 21: Vancouver Whitecaps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka (1) reaches for the ball against Real Salt Lake during the second half at BC Place. Vancouver won the match, 1-0.
Feb. 21: Fans watch during the national anthem before the game between Los Angeles FC and Inter Miami CF at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. LAFC won the game, 3-0, knocking off the defending MLS champs.
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MLS action, goals, scenes and drama from 2026 season
March 22: San Diego FC’s Marcus Ingvartsen celebrates after scoring a goal against Real Salt Lake at Snapdragon Stadium. San Diego FC and RSL played to a 2-2 draw.
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MLS action, goals, scenes and drama from 2026 season
March 22: San Diego FC’s Marcus Ingvartsen celebrates after scoring a goal against Real Salt Lake at Snapdragon Stadium. San Diego FC and RSL played to a 2-2 draw.
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MLS action, goals, scenes and drama from 2026 season
March 21: St. Louis City’s Simon Becher (11) tackles the ball away from the New England Revolutio’ns Matt Polster at Energizer Park. St. Louis City won the match, 3-1.
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MLS action, goals, scenes and drama from 2026 season
March 21: Orlando City goalkeeper Maxime Crapeau (71) blocks the header by Nashville SC’s Sam Surridge during the first half at Geodis Park. Nashville SC won the match, 5-0.
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MLS action, goals, scenes and drama from 2026 season
March 21: Toronto FC goalkeeper Luka Gavran makes a play on the ball in front of Columbus Crew forward Jamal Thiaré (during the second half at BMO Field. TFC won the match, 2-1.
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MLS action, goals, scenes and drama from 2026 season
March 15: The Vancouver Whitecaps’ Mathías Laborda (2) scores against the Minnesota United en route to a 6-0 rout of Minnesota at BC Place.
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MLS action, goals, scenes and drama from 2026 season
March 14: San Diego FC’s Jeppe Tverskov (6) heads the ball during the second half against FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium. The game ended in a 3-3 tie.
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MLS action, goals, scenes and drama from 2026 season
March 7: A tifo is seen before the game between the Chicago Fire and Columbus Crew at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field. The game ended in a 0-0 draw.
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MLS action, goals, scenes and drama from 2026 season
March 1: Inter Miami’s German Berterame controls the ball against Orlando City during the second half at Inter&Co Stadium. Inter Miami won the game, 4-2.
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MLS action, goals, scenes and drama from 2026 season
Feb. 28: Los Angeles FC’s Denis Bouanga and the Houston Dynamo’s Antonio Carlos (left) compete for possession during the first half at Shell Energy Stadium. LAFC won the match, 2-0.
10 / 14
MLS action, goals, scenes and drama from 2026 season
Feb. 28: The Chicago Fire’s Jonathan Dean (24) and CF Montrea’s Hennadii Synchuk battle for control of the ball during the second half at Soldier Field. Chicago won the match, 3-0.
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MLS action, goals, scenes and drama from 2026 season
Feb. 22: The Seattle Sounders’ Paul Rothrock celebrates after scoring a goal against the Colorado Rapids at Lumen Field. Seattle won the match, 2-0.
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MLS action, goals, scenes and drama from 2026 season
Feb. 21: FC Cincinnati’s Gerardo Valenzuela (center) has his shot blocked by Atlanta United’s Elias Baez(left) during the first half at TQL Stadium. FC Cincinnati won the match, 2-0.
13 / 14
MLS action, goals, scenes and drama from 2026 season
Feb. 21: Vancouver Whitecaps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka (1) reaches for the ball against Real Salt Lake during the second half at BC Place. Vancouver won the match, 1-0.
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MLS action, goals, scenes and drama from 2026 season
Feb. 21: Fans watch during the national anthem before the game between Los Angeles FC and Inter Miami CF at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. LAFC won the game, 3-0, knocking off the defending MLS champs.
“Nico has been a trusted ambassador for Austin FC and Austin during his time as Head Coach,” Austin FC CEO and owner Anthony Precourt said in a news release. “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.”
Austin had some rough injury luck, notably seeing forward Brandon Vazquez suffer an ACL tear just months after arriving on a club-record deal from Monterrey. But in addition to the Vazquez deal, Austin also spent big to bring in Myrto Uzuni and Osman Bukari on designated player deals.
Bukari moved on in the offseason, with Facundo Torres signed on a long-term deal. The former Orlando City attacker now occupies one of the club’s DP slots with Vazquez and Uzuni.
Austin plays St. Louis City in its final game before MLS breaks two months for World Cup play. Davy Arnaud will serve as the interim manager for that contest.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Estevez, Borrell fired as Austin FC continues to struggle in MLS play
