Wilfried Nancy — Head Coach

Wilfried Nancy joined the Crew on Dec. 6, 2022 as the eighth full-time head coach in Crew history. Under the 2024 Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year winner, the Crew have recorded two of their best seasons in Club history, posting back-to-back years with top team marks for regular season points (57 in 2023, franchise-record 62 in 2024) while becoming the first MLS club to reach three major tournament finals in a span of nine months (2023 MLS Cup, 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup Final and Leagues Cup 2024 Final).

Last season, Nancy guided the Black & Gold to Club records for regular season points (66), wins (19), goal differential (league-best +32), away wins (9), goals (72), away goals (34) and unique goal scorers (18). The Crew consistently generated great results on the pitch while playing a franchise-high 50 matches across all competitions, highlighted by reaching their first Concacaf Champions Cup Final and claiming the Leagues Cup 2024 title following a 3-1 win over LAFC on Aug. 25, 2024.

With Nancy’s and his staff’s tutelage in 2024, defender Steven Moreira was named the MLS Defender of the Year and forward Cucho Hernández finished second in the 2024 Landon Donovan MLS MVP voting, with both receiving MLS Best XI Presented by Continental Tire honors. Moreira, Cucho, defender Rudy Camacho, midfielder Darlington Nagbe and forward Diego Rossi were also 2024 MLS All-Stars as the Crew’s five selections were the most in the league.

In his first season with the Black & Gold, Nancy led the Black & Gold to the 2023 MLS Cup championship, the Club’s third league title, capped by a 2-1 victory over LAFC at Lower.com Field on Dec. 9, 2023. Nancy became the first Black head coach to win the MLS Cup and was also named a finalist for the 2023 Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year Award for the second time in as many years.

Nancy earned much success in his first season directing the Black & Gold. In 2023, the Club lifted the MLS Cup; tied a franchise record with 57 points (third in the MLS Supporters’ Shield); posted an MLS-best 67 regular season goals, their first time pacing the league in the category; and led the league and set Club standards in many major statistical categories for performance at home.

In addition to galvanizing team success in 2023, Nancy and his staff helped player development that resulted in forward Cucho Hernández being named the MLS Cup MVP and to the 2023 MLS Best XI – the first Crew player to earn the honor since Jonathan Mensah in 2020 – and midfielder Aidan Morris’ recognition as a 2023 MLS All-Star and Under 22 presented by BODYARMOR selection. Cucho (Colombia), Morris (USA), goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen (Guatemala), defender Steven Moreira (Cape Verde), forward Jacen Russell-Rowe (Canada), goalkeeper Patrick Shulte (USA) and midfielder/defender Sean Zawadzki (USA) also received international call-ups to their respective senior national teams that year.

Previously, Nancy served as head coach for CF Montreal during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. In 2022, Nancy led Montreal to a club-best, regular season record of 20-9-5. With 65 total points, Montreal finished second in the Eastern Conference and third overall in MLS, just two points shy of the Supporters’ Shield winners.

Montreal’s 20 wins were second overall in the league, and his team finished in the top five for goals scored (63). Montreal went unbeaten in eight matches from mid-March to mid-May, and again from mid-July to late August.

In 2011, Nancy joined Montreal’s Academy and over the course of 10 years, held head coaching roles for the U-18s (2011-13), the U-21s (2014), and the U-16s (2014-15) before being elevated to First Team assistant in January of 2016, a role he held until being promoted to head coach. He holds USSF Pro, UEFA A and Canadian Soccer Association A licenses. In 2014, he obtained the Elite Formation Coaching License (EFCL) diploma.

Born in France, Nancy had a professional playing career that spanned 10 years. From 1995-2005, the defender represented French clubs Sporting Club Toulon, Beaucairois, Raon-l’Etape, Ivry, Noisy-le-Sec, Chatellerault and Orleans.

On April 17, former President and General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko announced that the Crew and and Nancy agreed to a contract extension.