Nick Cushing is officially the new head coach of New York City FC.
The club issued an announcement earlier today formalizing the appointment, although the length of the contract was not disclosed.
The former assistant was named interim head coach after Ronny Deila departed for Standard de Liége in June, and went on to lead NYCFC to a record of 11 wins, 5 draws, and 10 losses in all competitions. Cushing presided over the late-summer swoon that saw NYCFC go winless in 10 games, and over the September surge in which the team beat Atlas FC in the Campeones Cup, defeated the New Jersey Red Bulls at Yankee Stadium, and finished the season with a No 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Cushing led the team to a record of 4 wins, 2 draws, and 6 losses in MLS league games, and a record of 11 wins, 5 draws, and 10 losses in all competitions. His tactical acumen set up NYCFC to win some key games in 2022, although injuries, a tough away schedule, and the loss of top goal scorer Taty Castellanos to Girona FC in July hampered the overall performance of the squad.
NYCFC 2022 MLS league games by head coach
| Head Coach | W | D | L | PPG | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ronny Deila | 8 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 25 | 9 | 16 |
| Nick Cushing | 8 | 5 | 8 | 1.38 | 32 | 32 | 0 |
| 16 | 7 | 11 | 1.62 | 57 | 41 | 16 |
Most impressive, Cushing accrued a 60% win record in cup and tournament games, with 3 wins in 5 matches played. He trails only Deila in total wins in that category among all NYCFC coaches.
NYCFC cup and tournament record by head coach
| Coach | Season | GP | W | D | L | Win % | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ronny Deila | 2020-2022 | 23 | 11 | 5 | 7 | 47.83% | 38 | 32 | 6 |
| Nick Cushing | 2022 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 60.00% | 9 | 7 | 2 |
| Domè Torrent | 2018-2019 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 42.86% | 12 | 9 | 3 |
| Patrick Vieira | 2016-2018 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 14.29% | 2 | 14 | -12 |
| Jason Kreiss | 2015 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 43 | 18 | 7 | 18 | 41.86% | 63 | 64 | -1 |
Cushing’s coaching career started at Manchester City in 2006. In 2013 he was named head coach of Manchester City Women, whom he led to a Super League title in 2016. Cushing joined NYCFC before the 2020 season to take an assistant position under Deila, and was a key part of the coaching staff that led the team to win the 2021 MLS Cup.
Bonus: He penned a catchy chant that celebrated the title-winning season.
Cushing becomes the fifth head coach in NYCFC club history.
