The LA Galaxy confirmed today as its new coach Greg Vanney, who previously coached Toronto FC.
The post has been vacant since Guillermo Fangs Schelotto was sacked with three games left in the 2020 regular season, a campaign in which the Galaxy failed to reach the postseason for the third time in four years.
Kinnear, a Galaxy assistant for part of the last four seasons, has taken up the post on an interim basis for the second time in his tenure with the club.
Vanney resigned from his place with Toronto on December 1 after a romance with the Reds that lasted nearly seven seasons. Prior to his arrival, Toronto had never qualified for the MLS Cup playoffs, but with Vanney the team became one of the elite MLS teams.
In 2017, the Reds won a domestic MLS Cup triplet, Supporters Shield and Canadian Championship. Toronto reached the MLS Cup final on two other occasions and also won the Canadian Championship in 2016 and 2018. His overall record with the Reds was 112-82-56.
Announcing his departure from Toronto after a season in which the team had to move to Hartford, Connecticut by campaign due to COVID-19-induced travel restrictions, Vanney gave conflicting signals about how quickly he would direct again.
On the one hand, he said he wasn’t the kind of person who “stays still for a long time,” but he also said he needed a “mental health break.” Now it looks like his period out of direction will be very short.
In Los Angeles, Vanney will try to get the Galaxy back to its former glory, a story that includes five MLS Cups.
Vanney spent seven seasons with the Galaxy during his career as a player, one that saw him join teams that won the 1998 Supporters Shield, the 2000 CONCACAF Champions Cup and the 2001 US Open Cup. He was also part of the DC United team that won the 2007 Supporters Shield.
Vanney also spent time as a player with French Bastia, FC Dallas and Colorado Rapids.
Internationally, Vanney played 37 games with the USMNT, scoring one goal. He was part of the team that claimed the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup.