D.C. United Name Troy Lesesne as Head Coach

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 10, 2024) - D.C. United announced today that Troy Lesesne has been named as the club’s new Head Coach. Lesesne signed a three-year deal with the Black-and-Red through 2026.

“First I want to thank Steve Kaplan, Jason Levien, Ally Mackay, and Caleb Shreve for entrusting me to lead D.C. United into a new chapter,” Troy Lesesne, D.C. United Head Coach said. “This club has been a staple in this league since its inception in 1996. I know how passionate our supporters are and I look forward to connecting with them and delivering the results that they deserve. After speaking with Ally [Mackay] and ownership, I am highly optimistic that we have the infrastructure and investment to reach the level that the fans deserve. I know there is a lot of work ahead of us in the next few weeks as we prepare for the 2024 season and I’m looking forward to getting started.” 

Last season, Lesesne became the interim head coach for the New York Red Bulls on May 8, 2023 following the departure of Gerhard Struber. After moving into the head coach role, Lesesne led the Red Bulls to a 10-9-4 record in regular season play taking them from last place in the Eastern Conference to the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs. He guided the club to its first postseason win since 2018, defeating Charlotte FC 5-2 in the Wild Card match before falling to 2023 MLS Supporters’ Shield winners FC Cincinnati in a best-of-three in the first round. Lesesne’s overall record during his head coaching tenure was 14-10-8, as he led the club to the Round of 16 in both the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and Leagues Cup competitions.

“We were thoroughly impressed with Troy during the course of the interview process,” Ally Mackay, D.C. United General Manager and Chief Soccer Officer said. “Troy has an impressive pedigree in American soccer and has worked at all levels of the soccer pyramid in this country. We believe his high-pressing tactical approach and player-first managerial style make him the best candidate to lead this club in a new and exciting direction and we’re looking forward to welcoming him to the nation’s capital.” 

Lesesne started his coaching career in 2005 when he joined the College of Charleston in NCAA Division I as their assistant coach. Lesesne spent 10 years with the College of Charleston Cougars, compiling an 82-76-14 record and was selected to the United Soccer Coaches NCAA “Top 30 Under 30” coaches' program in 2013. Lesesne was then hired by the Vancouver Whitecaps to be an assistant coach with the Charleston Battery as part of their MLS/USL affiliation in 2014. He helped the Battery finish fifth in the regular season and earned them a playoff spot before being named the first assistant coach for the newly expanded USL Championship team, Charlotte Independence in 2015. Lesesne spent four years with Charlotte Independence, qualifying for the Round of 16 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in their inaugural season and making back-to-back playoff appearances in 2016 and 2017. Then in 2018, Lesesne was announced as the first Head Coach and Technical Director of the USL Championship expansion club, New Mexico United. In three seasons, Lesesne led New Mexico United to a 34-25-29 record with two playoff appearances and reached the quarterfinals of the 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, defeating the Colorado Rapids and FC Dallas. Lesesne was named the 2020 USL Co-Coach of the Year after helping New Mexico secure its first playoff win in club history. He led the club to a third winning season in 2021, while helping launch the Diversity Fellowship Program and a fully-funded youth academy, which produced its first homegrown signing in Cristian Nava. On Jan. 25, 2022, Lesesne ascended to the MLS and joined the New York Red Bulls as an assistant coach.

Lesesne achieved his U.S. Pro Coaching License in 2020 and holds a Bachelor and Master of Arts in Communication from the College of Charleston.

D.C. United begin their 2024 Major League Soccer season at home at Audi Field on Saturday, February 24 at 7:30 PM EST against the New England Revolution. The club’s full MLS schedule can be found here. For access to season ticket memberships and single match tickets you can visit dcunited.com.