At 41-years-old, Ben Olsen became the youngest head coach to reach the 100-win milestone with the 5-0 thrashing of Real Salt Lake on March 16, 2019. Having held the head coaching position since 2010, Olsen is longest tenured head coach in Black-and-Red history and has an overall record of 100-118-69 in MLS Regular Season.
After an illustrious playing career for the Black-and-Red, in which Olsen earned eight team trophies, 1998 MLS Rookie of the Year, two All Star appearances (1998 and 1999), and 1999 MLS Cup MVP, Olsen became assistant manager for his former coach Curt Onalfo. In August of 2010 the club announced that Onalfo would step down and be replaced by Ben Olsen on an interim basis for the remainder of the season. At just 33-years-old, Olsen not only became the youngest head coach in club history, but the youngest head coach in MLS history. His first win came on August 22, 2010 in a 2-0 victory over Philadelphia. After a spell of impressive performances by the Black-and-Red to finish the 2010 regular season, Olsen was handed the manager position on a full-time basis becoming the seventh head coach in D.C. United history.
Following a disappointing inaugural season in 2011, Olsen led the Black-and- Red to the second best record in the Eastern Conference and a playoff appearance in 2012. In 2013, despite struggling in the league, Olsen was able to guide his team to victory in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup giving him his first trophy as a manager. In the 2014 season D.C. United made a miraculous turnaround going from the worst record in the Eastern Conference in 2013, to first place in 2014 with a record of 17-9-8. At the end of the season Olsen was rewarded for his efforts in rejuvenating the Black-and- Red by being named the 2014 MLS Coach of the Year. On March 7, 2015, his 149th game in charge, Olsen recorded his 50th career victory as a head coach.
After 3,128 days in charge, Olsen reached his 100th career victory as a manager, entering the elite conversation among MLS coaches. He now ranks 10th all time in total wins (100), and his 287 games managed ranks ninth all time since MLS came to fruition in 1996. Among active MLS coaches Olsen ranks third in both wins and games managed trailing only legendary coaches Bob Bradley of Los Angeles FC who has 142 wins in 309 games managed and Peter Vermes of Sporting Kansas City who has 134 wins in 317 games managed. While Ben Olsen may be younger than all of the coaches on the list, he is a seasoned MLS veteran as both a coach and a player who continues to make his mark on D.C. United. Olsen fittingly became the first head coach to inhabit the Black-and-Red’s new home at Audi Field and has stormed off to an impressive 14-2-1 record at the District’s newest sports venue.
After three games in 2019, D.C. United are in first place in the Eastern Conference and are the only team to not concede a goal through the first three matches. Black-and-Red supporters should be optimistic about the future as Ben Olsen looks to continue his upward trajectory in 2019.
