Set to join Major League Soccer as an expansion club in 2021, Austin FC will boast two former Kansas City greats on its coaching staff.
Josh Wolff, who was announced as Austin FC's head coach last summer, has welcomed longtime Kansas City teammate Davy Arnaud onto the club's technical staff as an assistant ahead of next season. Arnaud's tenure will formally begin Aug. 1 as Austin FC ramp up preparations for their inaugural campaign.
“Davy Arnaud represents a significant addition to our growing club, and our organization is extremely fortunate to have a native Texan and highly-experienced MLS player and coach join our staff to help us build a successful club in MLS,” Wolff said Monday in a team statement. “Davy and I know each other well from our time playing together in Kansas City, and I know he shares the same soccer philosophy we value highly at Austin FC.”
“I couldn't be more excited to be joining the club, Arnaud said. "I had the pleasure of playing alongside and learning from Josh in Kansas City. His leadership and knowledge of the game is something I admire and I look forward to rejoining him here in Austin. I want to thank Josh and [sporting director Claudio Reyna] for affording me the opportunity to help build Austin FC.”
Arnaud amassed 52 goals and 40 assists across 273 matches during an excellent 10-season stint at Sporting from 2002-2011. He is one of just two players in team history alongside Preki to register at least 50 goals and 40 assists, and he ranks fifth on the club's all-time appearances chart. The Texas native retired as a player in 2016 and became a D.C. United assistant before joining the Houston coaching staff in 2017. He took interim managerial duties in Houston during the latter stages of 2019.
Wolff, who joined the Sporting Legends last July shortly before taking the Austin FC head coaching job, starred for the Wizards from 2003-2006 and 2008-2010. He amassed 46 goals and 30 assists in 163 competitive appearances, ranking fourth on the club’s all-time goals chart and eighth in assists. He is one of four players in team history—alongside Arnaud, Preki and Chris Klein—to notch at least 40 goals and 30 assists in a Kansas City uniform.
