Nico Estévez

Nicolás "Nico" Estévez Martínez, born on 29 January 1980, is a Spanish football manager. He has worked as a coach for different teams and brought his skills to help guide players.

Most recently, Estévez served as the head coach of Austin FC, a team that plays in Major League Soccer. His role involved planning strategies, supporting players, and leading the team during matches.

As a manager, Nico Estévez has made important contributions to the sport, showing how careful leadership and knowledge of the game can shape a team's success. His work continues to influence football in exciting ways.

Career

Nicolás "Nico" Estévez Martínez began his career coaching young players in Valencia, Spain, when he was just 19 years old. In 2004, he joined Valencia CF to help develop young talent there.

In 2011, he became the manager of a new team called Huracán Valencia CF in Segunda División B. He left the club in 2013 after trying to move up to a higher league but not succeeding.

Later in 2013, he returned to Valencia to coach their reserve team. For a short time in December 2013, he took over as the main coach of Valencia’s first team after another coach left. At 33 years old, he became one of the youngest coaches ever for the team. He led the team in two important matches before returning to his old job.

In 2014, Estévez moved to the United States to work with Columbus Crew SC. He started as a Director of Methodology and later became an assistant coach. In 2019, he followed his coach, Gregg Berhalter, to the United States men's soccer team as an assistant.

In December 2021, Estévez became the head coach of FC Dallas in Major League Soccer. In his first season, he helped the team improve greatly, finishing third in the Western Conference.

In October 2024, he was hired to coach Austin FC, a rival team of FC Dallas. However, he and the team’s Sporting Director were let go in May 2026.

Managerial statistics

As of 16 May 2026

Managerial record by team and tenure

Team	Nat	From	To	Record
				G	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %
Huracán Valencia		1 July 2011	1 July 2013	88	41	34	13	109	62	+47	046.59
Valencia B		4 July 2013	7 April 2014	32	8	6	18	28	44	−16	025.00
Valencia (interim)		16 December 2013	26 December 2013	2	1	0	1	3	3	+0	050.00
FC Dallas		2 December 2021	9 June 2024	97	35	32	30	132	120	+12	036.08
Austin FC		25 October 2024	present	56	19	14	23	70	89	−19	033.93
Career total				275	104	86	85	342	318	+24	037.82

Honours

Individual

Nico Estévez received an award for being the best coach in Group 3 of the Segunda División B in the 2012–13 season. This award is called the Ramón Cobo Award.