Former Sporting KC champion takes charge of Western Conference rival in Houston
After a decade with Sporting KC as both a player and coach, Paulo Nagamura was officially introduced as the new head coach of the Houston Dynamo on Tuesday.
“I’m very grateful for the SKC organization and Peter Vermes,” Nagamura said in his introductory news conference. “I learned a lot in that organization.”
Nagamura joined Sporting KC in 2012, making a total of 118 appearances for the club across all competitions. He was a part of three major trophies won during that time span, lifting the U.S. Open Cup in 2012 and 2015, and MLS Cup in 2013.
Nagamura retired at the end of the 2016 season and joined the Sporting KC II technical staff as an assistant in 2017. In 2018, he was elevated to the role of the manager leading Sporting KC II into a player development model.
In November of 2021, Sporting KC and Nagamura agreed to part ways in order for him to pursue other professional opportunities. He was rumored to be a finalist for the Chicago Fire head coaching position and wound up with the Dynamo.
“(Paulo) was a great player at this club, and stepped into a time when he right away became an assistant and then was the head coach of that team for four years,” Peter Vermes said about Nagamura in November. “We really appreciate his time spent with the club. He’s a great human being and (he was) a tremendous soccer person here both on the field and as a coach.”
It was during Nagamura’s leadership of Sporting KC II when 16-year-old Gianluca Busio cut his teeth as a pro before earning minutes for the first team and eventually making a high-profile transfer to Serie A side Venezia in 2021.
Homegrown players like Cam Duke, Jaylin Lindsey and Felipe Hernandez also earned their stripes before pushing veterans like Graham Zusi and Roger Espinoza for minutes in 2021. Many inside the organization are excited about two more young homegrowns, Ozzie Cisneros and Kayden Pierre, who grew immensely during the 2021 season under Nagamura.
While youth development takes time, so does the process of creating a new culture at a club. With a new ownership and front office structure in place in Houston, Nagamura faces a task similar to what Peter Vermes faced when he took charge of Sporting KC in 2009.
The Dynamo are coming off back-to-back last-place Western Conference finishes and haven’t made the MLS Cup Playoffs since 2017.
“I’m very excited to help rescue the identity of the Dynamo - something we got away from in recent years,” Nagamura said. “It will be a challenge, but I’m ready to embrace it with all of my energy.”
He feels everything he learned with Sporting KC, as a player and as a coach, will serve him well in Houston. He specifically credited Vermes’ mentorship.
“Peter has been my mentor for the last five years, especially when I became a coach,” Nagamura said. ”I’ve learned a lot from him, the way he deals with players, the way that he sees the game, the way that he manages his daily routine. So I’m grateful.”
Nagamura will return to Children’s Mercy Park for Sporting KC’s home opener on March 5.
This story was originally published January 4, 2022 at 5:48 PM with the headline "Former Sporting KC champion takes charge of Western Conference rival in Houston."