San Diego FC today announced the appointment of Mikey Varas as the Club's Head Coach. Varas joins SDFC from U.S. Soccer, where he most recently served as the Interim Head Coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team.
“We believe Mikey is the perfect choice to lead San Diego FC as the Club’s first Head Coach,” said SDFC Chairman, Sir Mohamed Mansour. “As we prepare for our inaugural season, Mikey’s leadership, desire to win now, and his deep understanding of player development make him the ideal choice to guide our Club forward.”
Hired as the U-20 MNT head coach in November 2021, Varas led the team to a 8-3-3 record during his first 14 months on the job, including a dominant performance at the 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship where the team won the tournament. There, the U.S. qualified to the Olympics for the first time since 2008 and took home its third-straight confederation crown following an undefeated seven-game run that featured six shutouts. Varas’ squad secured qualification for the Olympics with an impressive 3-0 victory against host Honduras in the tournament semifinals, then defeated the Dominican Republic 6-0 for the title. At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Varas served as an MNT opponent scout. He later coached the U-20 MNT to the top of their group at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina.
“Mikey embodies the values and ambitions of San Diego FC,” said SDFC Sporting Director Tyler Heaps. “His ideas on the game and how it should be played align with ours and his commitment and energy throughout the process is one that we feel connects with this community and our vision for the Club. We have big aspirations for SDFC, and we believe Mikey has the right drive, passion, and leadership to help us build a winning culture. I’m looking forward to welcoming him to San Diego and continuing to build out the staff that will support and help us accomplish our goals.”
Before joining U.S. Soccer, Varas served as an assistant coach for FC Dallas under former head coach Luchi Gonzalez for three seasons. During his tenure, FC Dallas reached the MLS Cup playoffs twice fueled by a number of standout Homegrown players from the club’s academy.
“I am honored to join San Diego FC as the Club’s first Head Coach,” said Varas. “The opportunity to build something special from the ground up, with such ambitious and committed ownership, and in a city with such a passionate fan base, is truly exciting. I look forward to working with the team and the community to develop a winning culture from the start. I will give everything to this club and the people of San Diego.”
Varas joined FC Dallas in fall 2017 as head coach of the U-16 team after he connected with Gonzalez, then FCD’s Academy director, while the two pursued their U.S. Soccer “A” Coaching Licenses in 2013. Prior to his time at FC Dallas, Varas worked with the Sacramento Republic academy, where he was recognized as the U.S. Soccer Development Academy West Conference U-14 Coach of the Year for the 2016-17 season.
Varas played collegiate soccer at the University of San Francisco and trained in Chile with CD Santiago Wanderers before transitioning into coaching. In addition to his U.S. Soccer Pro License, Varas is fluent in Spanish and holds a Master’s degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Physical Education from Fresno Pacific University and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Southern New Hampshire University.
