NYCFC fires head coach Nick Cushing after conference semifinal defeat

New York City FC has made a major change to start its offseason, firing head coach Nick Cushing after two and a half seasons and a 2024 playoff run.

The team announced the change Tuesday, just days after falling out of the MLS Playoffs with a disappointing 2-0 loss to the rival New York Red Bulls.

Cushing joined the organization in 2020 as an assistant coach to Ronny Deila and was part of the team's MLS Cup-winning run in 2021. Cushing became interim head coach in 2022 after Deila left midseason and was promoted to permanent head coach ahead of the 2023 season.

The team made the MLS semifinals in Cushing's interim year, but missed the playoffs last year after a late-season slide.

This season, NYCFC finished in sixth place with a 14W-8D-12L record. Prior to the loss to the Red Bulls, NYCFC stunned No. 3 seed FC Cincinnati in Round 1, forcing a Game 3 for the best-of-three series and then taking the 0(6)-0(5) win in penalties.

Before heading to New York, Cushing coached the Manchester United women's squad for seven seasons. In 2016, he led the team to a Women's Super League title and an FA Women's Cup title the same year.

Cushing's firing is just the latest head coaching change, even among teams that made the playoffs this season. On Monday, the Vancouver Whitecaps fired Vanni Sartini after three seasons with the team, despite advancing to Round 1 of the playoffs. Inter Miami FC head coach Tata Martino announced that he was leaving for personal reasons after leading the team to a record-breaking Supporters Shield finish and was replaced by Javier Mascherano, a former teammate of Miami star Lionel Messi.