CITY SC appoints Damet as next head coach

ST. LOUIS — St. Louis CITY SC now has a full-time head coach following the announcement of Yoann Damet as its next skipper on Tuesday.

Damet spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach to Wilfried Nancy’s Columbus Crew. He was a member of the coaching staff when the Crew won the MLS Cup in 2023. He also coached the Crew in the 2024 Leagues Cup.

Before that, Damet worked on Greg Vanney’s coaching staff in Los Angeles with the Galaxy. With the Galaxy, he coached with both the junior and senior squads.

His first tenure in MLS was as an assistant coach from 2017 to 2021 with FC Cincinnati. On separate occasions in 2019 and 2020, Damet would serve in a brief interim head coach capacity.

The French national played in youth soccer from ages 8 to 17. However, while playing in the fifth tier of French soccer, he didn’t find himself skilled enough for professional ball. His professional coaching career started in 2006. In nine seasons, he would coach French youth teams Beaune FC, Jura Sud Foot, and Dijon DCO.

Damet came to Canada in 2014 to coach youth programs for the Montreal Impact.

“Yoann has all the attributes we were looking for in a manager and aligns closely with the vision and direction we have for this team,” said Sporting Director Corey Wray. “He has invaluable experience working with some of the best teams and coaches in the league, which I am sure will help him get the best out of our players.”

“On the field, he will build on the club’s intense, high-work-rate identity while adding a more proactive, ball-focused dimension to our style,” continued Wray. “Which will give us the best chance to be consistently competitive and entertain our fans.”

CITY SC and its managerial hot seat

The announcement marks the fifth head coach in club history, following Bradley Carnell, John Hackworth, Olof Mellberg, and David Critchley.

Carnell was fired from the team as coach in July 2024, amidst a disappointing sophomore season. He would move on to Philadelphia to manage the Union, which won the Supporters Shield. Carnell would also earn honors as the Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year.

Hackworth, an assistant coach under Carnell, was appointed in the wake of Carnell’s firing as a caretaker head coach. He would serve in such a role until late November 2024, when Mellberg was announced as head coach. At that time, under his tutelage, CITY SC had seven wins, four draws, and seven losses. On December 5, CITY SC announced Hackworth’s departure, set to coach the Naval Academy’s soccer program starting in 2026.

Mellberg’s dismal start to the 2025 season was three wins, five draws, and nine losses. That was not enough to keep the Swede on board, as he was fired in May 2025.

Critchley was appointed as caretaker manager, finishing out his portion of the 2025 campaign 6W-3D-10L. CITY SC would finish the season 9W-8D-19L.At the time of his appointment, he was CITY 2’s head coach.

Can Damet turn this program around?

Damet has a lot to work with leading up to the 2026 MLS campaign, kicking off on February 21.

Since CITY SC’s inaugural season in 2023 as the league’s 28th franchise in Major League Soccer, it’s been a bag of mixed feelings.

The team scored 56 points in its debut season with 17 wins and 5 draws. During that season, CITY SC set the mark, being the first franchise to win its first five matches. They would also match the points record to open the season. They would match a record set by the LA Galaxy in 1996 and Sporting Kansas City in 2012. Furthermore, the team would set another record for most wins in a season with 17.

However, CITY SC couldn’t quite capitalize on either the U.S. Open Cup or the Leagues Cup. They were eliminated from the Open Cup in the Round of 32. Furthermore, they didn’t make it out of the Group Stage in the Leagues Cup.

Despite the strong finish, finishing atop the Western Conference and fourth league-wide, CITY SC was eliminated in the first round of the MLS Playoffs.

In 2024, the wheels started falling off. CITY SC finished the campaign with nine fewer wins than its debut, scoring only 37 points for the season, finishing 12th in the conference and 24th overall.

The only bright spot for the 2024 squad was its run to the Round of 16 in the Leagues Cup, but that was unfortunately it. In its debut appearance in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the team was eliminated in the first round.

Very little changed in the 2025 season. While CITY SC maintained the same win tally at 8, they lost five more games than in 2024.

So what does the front office think about Damet turning things around?

Does the front office have faith in Damet?

“Through our conversations, it was clear that Yoann will bring an uncompromising desire to win, a relentless and thorough approach to his work, and values and behaviors that align naturally with our club,” said St. Louis CITY President and GM Diego Gigliani. “We’re confident Yoann is well-positioned to follow the proven path of MLS-experienced assistants who have gone on to succeed as head coaches.”

Gigliani thanked Critchley for his leadership as interim head coach and stated the team will remain committed to his continued development within the club.

While that might indicate a potential return to CITY 2, nothing was specifically indicated in the announcement. It is possible that Critchley could resume his duties as head coach for CITY 2, especially with the pending departure of Hackworth.

Damet to make first media appearance on Wednesday

“I’m honored to be joining CITY SC and really looking forward to getting to work with the team and building a high-standard environment that represents the fans and this city,” Damet stated. “I want to thank the ownership group, Diego, and Corey for the trust they’ve shown in me.”

“This is an ambitious club,” added Damet. “[and] We’ll work extremely hard every day to be competitive and play an entertaining style of soccer the fans and supporters can relate to and enjoy.” 

St. Louis CITY SC will open the 2026 MLS campaign at home versus Charlotte FC on February 21, with the match scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Central at Energizer Park. Tickets can be purchased through seatgeek.com. 

Damet will meet with the media on Wednesday at 1:15 p.m. alongside Sporting Director Wray in the Energizer Park interview room.

Heartland Newsfeed will be in attendance remotely to cover the press conference.