Ten matches into Yoann Damet’s first season as St. Louis CITY SC’s manager, the team sat 14th in the Western Conference. Now, he has a case for MLS Coach of the Year.
Damet arrived in St. Louis less than a year ago with a pedigree as the lieutenant in Wilfried Nancy’s successful Columbus Crew teams. After working together in Columbus, new sporting director Corey Wray had a hunch that the CITY squad was better than advertised and that a few tweaks to reinforce Damet’s vision could quickly deliver results.
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At his introductory press conference, Damet talked about winning, caring about the whole player, and establishing culture through the training environment. Following training camp, CITY goalkeeper Roman Bürki said, “We’re going to set the standard high and keep it high.”
With CITY missing the playoffs during the past two seasons, however, Damet had his work cut out. The club largely cleaned house, including the sale of João Klauss to the Los Angeles Galaxy in January. At the same time, the club experienced an emotional spring, including the passing of Ilona Löwen. After the first 10 matches of the season, CITY sat 14th in the table.
Then, despite the odds, CITY went on a record-setting run. Following a dramatic summer transfer window that saw fan favorites Marcel Hartel and Eduard Löwen depart the club, the team hit another level as new additions Alex Mǎțan, Carlo Holse, and Rafael Navarro found their stride. CITY went 21 straight matches unbeaten across all competitions, won the U.S. Open Cup, and finished third in the Western Conference after winning in Houston on Saturday.
“Everyone has been battling since January,” Damet said afterward, acknowledging the team’s hard work over a year-long transformation.
The finalists for the 2026 Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year will be announced this Thursday, November 12. Damet will likely be a finalist, alongside Nashville’s BJ Callaghan (whose team broke the MLS points record), Vancouver’s Jesper Sørensen (whose club held the top spot in the Western Conference), and New England’s Marko Mitrovic (who transformed the team). If Damet wins, it will largely be a result of his holistic approach while helping the team navigate a memorable season.
As Damet said at his introductory press conference, “If we can bring consistency in our performance, then we can win more often than not.”
