Austin FC Parts Ways with Sporting Director Rodolfo Borrell and Head Coach Nico Estévez
MLS Austin FC

Austin FC Parts Ways with Sporting Director Rodolfo Borrell and Head Coach Nico Estévez

Published on May 18, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Austin FC News Release


Austin, TEXAS - Austin FC today announced that the Club has parted ways with Sporting Director Rodolfo Borrell and Head Coach Nico Estévez, effective immediately. The Club has begun searches for its next Sporting Director and Head Coach while implementing an interim leadership structure for Soccer Operations. Davy Arnaud has been appointed Interim Head Coach ahead of the Club's next match against St. Louis CITY SC on May 23.

"We are grateful to Rodo for his tireless dedication to improving the Club," said Austin FC Chief Executive Officer and Majority Owner, Anthony Precourt. "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."

"Nico has been a trusted ambassador for Austin FC and Austin during his time as Head Coach," added 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."

While the search for the Club's next head coach is already underway, Austin FC has also retained the services of Excel Sports Management's executive search division, Excel Search & Advisory, to lead the global search for the Club's next Sporting Director with the goal of identifying a sporting leader who aligns with Austin FC's long-term vision and competitive objectives across all levels of the organization, including the first team, second team, and academy.

The 60-day mid-season pause that begins at the conclusion of the upcoming match vs. St. Louis CITY SC affords the Club a natural period to implement a transition and position the organization for success.

Arnaud has previously served as interim manager for Austin FC in 2024 when he helped lead the Club to a 3-2 victory vs. Colorado on the final day of the season. Arnaud's interim coaching experience also includes a 9-match stretch with Houston Dynamo in 2019, and his combined record as an interim head coach is 4 wins, 5 losses, and 1 draw.

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