KANSAS CITY, Kan.—Sporting Kansas City announced on Monday morning that they have signed technical director and head coach Peter Vermes to a five-year contract extension, through the 2023 season. The deal allows him to continue building a legacy at the club he’s been part of since 2000.
“I know that I’m not a mercenary,” Vermes said in a press conference Monday following the announcement.
“I’m not the guy that goes one year to this club, two years to that club, and just keep jumping around. I consider myself to be more of a builder. And I think we’re still building this project and I want to continue to be a part of it.”
Vermes played for the Kansas City Wizards squad that won the 2000 MLS Cup. He later moved into the role of technical director in 2006, as the current ownership group took over the club. Since taking over as head coach during the 2009 season, he has led Kansas City to the MLS Cup championship in 2013 and three U.S. Open Cup titles (2012, '15, '17).
Vermes describes the day he began that technical director job at the club as a “blank board” for him to work with on the technical side. This contract extension allows him to further develop his vision and plan for the club in both the present and future, and to do so in a place where he is happy.
“I just don’t think the grass is greener on the other side,” Vermes said. “And when you’re in a place where you’re extremely happy to go to work every day, you’re excited, you’re motivated, I don’t know what else you’d be searching to try and find, when it’s right here in front of me.”
The contract extension arose out of their annual postseason meeting following the 2017 season.
“Every year I have a meeting with ownership where we look at what happened the past year and to take the steps moving forward,” Vermes said.
“We have a long-term plan. It was time to present this new five-year plan, and ownership was very supportive of it. I remember after the meeting, flying back, and Mike [Illig, Sporting KC owner] said, ‘I have one problem with this plan. The guy that is the architect of it, we don’t have him around for the same amount of time. So I’d like to start talking about an extension.’"
A big part of that five-year plan is to help further the longevity and sustainability of the club through furthering their “Path-to-Pro” model. Vermes laid out what was a significant portion of their plan for the future.
“It’s now important to make sure we get really, really good at some of the things that we’ve set out, and one of our biggest initiatives that we have set out is the pro pathway,” Vermes said.
“If you look right now, we have Daniel Salloi who came in through our academy and has a regular place in the lineup. I know this is a lofty goal, but maybe one day we could, put eleven players out on the field who have gone through our academy, Swope Park Rangers, and to the senior team.”
