LAFC hired Marc Dos Santos as the third head coach in club history, elevating the assistant coach who spent the past four seasons helping guide the team to three major trophies, the soccer club announced today.
Dos Santos replaces Steve Cherundolo, who stepped down after the 2025 MLS season. Cherundolo guided LAFC to the 2022 MLS Cup, the 2022 Supporters’ Shield and the 2024 U.S. Open Cup title.
“Marc (Dos Santos) understands as well as anyone what the best version of LAFC looks like: an entertaining, front-foot style of play grounded in ambition, intensity and a collaborative culture that reflects who
we are as a club,” LAFC Co-President and General Manager John Thorrington said in a statement. “He has earned the trust and belief of all of our players.”
A Montréal native, Dos Santos, 48, previously spent more than two seasons as head coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps, compiling a 22-37-18 record.
His overall record as a head coach in North America stands at 146-118-88.
“I’m honored to step into the role of head coach at LAFC,” Dos Santos said in a statement. “This is a special club. You feel it the moment you step into the training facility or stadium, when you meet the people who work here and when you see the passion of everyone involved.”
Dos Santos has also coached extensively in the North American Soccer League (NASL) and the United Soccer League (USL), winning NASL Coach of the Year honors in 2015 and 2017 and earning an NASL championship with the San Francisco Deltas.
He led the Swope Park Rangers to the 2016 USL Western Conference title and previously won championships with clubs in Canada.
“As an ownership group, we believe Marc is the right person to lead LAFC to new heights,” LAFC Lead Managing Owner Bennett Rosenthal said. “Marc has long been a part of LAFC’s amazing culture, and his presence provides all the positives of that continuity.”
Dos Santos also spent two seasons coaching youth teams in Brazil, winning a Copa do Brasil Under-15 championship.