NYCFC fires head coach Pascal Jansen after second-half collapse

NYCFC has fired head coach Pascal Jansen.

New York City FC will be looking for a new head coach this offseason.

Less than 24 hours after the club played its final match of the 2026 season, NYCFC announced that it fired head coach Pascal Jansen following a disappointing campaign that saw the club miss the playoffs for only the third time in its 12-year history.

NYCFC went through an ugly 2026 season, finishing 11th in the Eastern Conference and being knocked out of playoff contention before the club even reached its Decision Day matchup with D.C. United on Saturday. The rough season was highlighted by the massive second-half collapse NYCFC went through following the World Cup break, posting a 5W-8D-6L record and sliding from eighth place to 11th.

Jansen was informed of the decision by the club’s front office on Sunday morning and ultimately the decision to move on from him as head coach came down to the “failure of making playoffs” following a “disappointing season,” a source told The Post.

NYCFC has fired head coach Pascal Jansen. Getty Images

The head coaching role will take on an even bigger role going into 2027 as NYCFC prepares for massive changes with the planned move into their new stadium and MLS changing their league calendar to a summer-through-spring format, which is in line with the European football calendar and includes an abbreviated sprint season that will run from February to May.

The club views this next year as a “crucial point in franchise history” and the feeling is that NYCFC wants to make sure it has “the right leadership in place,” the source added.

NYCFC will begin its search for a new head coach immediately, sporting director Todd Dunivant said in a statement released late Sunday morning.

“We would like to thank Pascal for his commitment and contributions to New York City FC and wish him and his family all the best. This decision follows a thorough review of the season and reflects our ambition as an organization,” he said.

One of the biggest problems that NYCFC faced this season – especially during its struggles in the second half – had been allowing late goals that would cost the club points, or matches altogether. And the club dealt with a number of injuries during the course of the season, while also playing much of the year without one of its top scorers, Alonso Martinez, as he recovered from a torn ACL he suffered last fall.

Jansen had appeared to hint at questions over how the club addressed some of the shortcomings in terms of player recruitment. In his prematch press conference ahead of the win over D.C. United, Jansen called it a “combination of both” when asked about the role of injuries and filling the voids played into missing the postseason.

“These are topics that are ongoing conversations from the start of the season,” Jansen said on Thursday. “So the one thing I want to point out is that we always learn, and making sure that we do better going into 27 is one of the things that we have to realize based on the lessons learned in going into the 26 season.”

Jansen took over as head coach in 2025, replacing Nick Cushing, and led the club to a fifth-place finish along with a surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals in his inaugural year as head coach.

Pascal Jansen, left, Head Coach of New York City FC, greets Jonathan Shore after an MLS match against Orlando City SC in Orlando, Fla., Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. MLS via Getty Images

His second year had a bit of a different feel to it and he was working under a front office that was led by Dunivant, who was hired in December 2025.

Jansen did not appear to believe his position as head coach was in jeopardy when he spoke with reporters following Saturday’s season finale and had said last month that he had not talked with the front office about his future if the club did not make the postseason.

In 83 matches across all competitions, Jansen led NYCFC to a 34W-17D-32L record.

“We are grateful for Pascal’s dedication during his time with the Club,” New York City FC CEO Brad Sims said in a statement. “We recognize the disappointment of missing the playoffs, and I’d like to thank our fans for their incredible support. As we look ahead to an exciting and historic new chapter for the Club next year, our commitment to consistently competing at the highest level and bringing more trophies to New York City remains unchanged.”