Soccer Tejas
| Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... |
HOUSTON (Oct. 21, 2026) – Houston Dynamo FC announced today a contract extension for head coach Ben Olsen, ensuring his continued leadership with the Club. The extension runs through the 2027-28 season.
“Our vision has been to build a sustainable winner that makes the city of Houston proud, and Ben has been central to realizing that vision,” said Dynamo President of Soccer Pat Onstad. “Under his leadership, the team has reestablished itself as a contender, lifted the U.S. Open Cup, qualified for international competition and secured its third MLS Cup Playoffs berth in four seasons. Beyond those results, Ben has helped restore the identity of our Club by producing a competitive team, cultivating a resilient and unified culture, and developing young talent from around the world. We have built a strong foundation together, and I look forward to continuing that work with Ben as we pursue sustained success and compete for more trophies for the Club and the city of Houston.”
Olsen’s Dynamo are currently fifth in the standings with a 13-9-8 (W-L-D) record on 47 points, the fourth-highest point total in Club history through 30 matches. The Dynamo have avoided defeat in 13 of 16 matches since the resumption of league play following the World Cup. Olsen has also led the Dynamo to a strong 8-3-4 (W-L-D) home record at Shell Energy Stadium so far this season.
Houston recently clinched a spot in the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs this past weekend, marking the third time in the last four seasons that the Dynamo have qualified for the postseason under Olsen. Notably, he ranks second in Club history for the most playoff appearances achieved during a head coach’s tenure (Dominic Kinnear, seven postseason appearances with the Dynamo).
Under Olsen, a former U.S. Men’s National Team player, the Dynamo have maintained their strong defensive identity this season, allowing the fifth-fewest goals (39) and posting 11 clean sheets, the second-most in team history. Notably, the team’s recent five-match shutout victory streak tied a league-record, while the team held opponents scoreless for an impressive 485 minutes earlier this season, the second-longest run over the last decade for the Dynamo.
The 49-year-old head coach is one of three active MLS head coaches to lead a team to the playoffs eight or more times, joining Bruce Arena and Brian Schmetzer. Olsen sits seventh all-time amongst MLS head coaches with 164 regular season wins, reaching 150 last season when the Dynamo earned a 3-2 road victory over St. Louis CITY SC.
“I was drawn to this opportunity with the Dynamo because of the significant potential of both the Club and the city, and I am proud of the progress we have made together and the standards we have established,” said Olsen. “That progress reflects the commitment of our players, coaches and staff, along with the unwavering support of our fans. I am grateful to Ted, Pat and the entire Dynamo organization for their continued trust and belief in what we are working toward. I am energized by the opportunity to continue building on our success and make the city of Houston proud.”
Olsen joined the Dynamo ahead of the 2023 season and immediately helped lead the Club to their best season in over a decade. Houston lifted the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the Club’s fourth domestic title, earning Houston a place in the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup for the first time since 2019. The team also made the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2017 after finishing fourth in the conference, making a run to the Western Conference Final. Houston also went on a run to the Round of 16 in the inaugural Leagues Cup, defeating Liga MX sides Santos Laguna and Pachuca. Over the course of the year, Houston posted an impressive 9-2 record in elimination matches across three competitions in 2023.
The Dynamo followed that up with a 2024 campaign that set the Club’s single-season point record and achieved a second consecutive MLS Cup Playoffs berth. Notably, Houston was the only American MLS team to compete in four major competitions that year, including MLS, Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup and the U.S. Open Cup.
Additionally, Olsen has been a key contributor in Houston’s rise as one of the most productive player development clubs in MLS. Houston has been a league leader in promoting players from their MLS NEXT Pro team to make meaningful contributions to the first team and transfer revenue for the Club, including Felipe Andrade, Micael dos Santos and Agustin Resch. Olsen has also played a key role in advancing the careers of young national team prospects, such as Jack McGlynn and Brooklyn Raines. Earlier this year, Matthew Arana made his debut for the Club at 15 years old, becoming the youngest Dynamo player ever to appear in an MLS match and the first in a wave of young Academy prospects coming through the Club’s player pathway.
Overall, Olsen holds a 51-45-36 (W-L-D) regular season record with the Dynamo, the second-most wins in Club history. Among full-time head coaches for the Dynamo, the American also owns the second-highest winning percentage across all competitions (39.5%).
The 2014 MLS Coach of the Year has won two domestic trophies as a coach – 2013 U.S. Open Cup (D.C. United) and 2023 U.S. Open Cup (Houston Dynamo FC) – and is just one of three coaches to win the U.S. Open with two different teams.
Olsen continues as the sixth full-time head coach in Club history, following Dominic Kinnear (2006-14), Owen Coyle (2015-16), Wilmer Cabrera (2017-19), Tab Ramos (2020-2021) and Paulo Nagamura (2022).
As a player, the Middletown, Pennsylvania native won two MLS Cup titles, three MLS Supporters’ Shields and the 1998 Concacaf Champions’ Cup during his 13-year playing career with D.C. United. The two-time MLS All-Star was named to the MLS Best XI in 2007 and a year later he won the 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, his eighth trophy as a player.
Internationally, Olsen won a bronze medal with the U.S. Men’s National Team at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and represented the USMNT at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He won the 2005 Concacaf Gold Cup and finished his international career with 37 caps.
He is a product of the University of Virginia where he was named the Soccer America Player of the Year in 1997 and finished as a finalist for the Hermann Trophy. Olsen was recognized for more than 20 years of service to the sport in the Washington D.C. area in 2015 when he was inducted into the Virginia-DC Soccer Hall of Fame.
Houston continues a two-match homestand on Saturday, Oct. 24, hosting Minnesota United FC on Space City Night, presented by DUDE Wipes. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT, and fans can secure tickets to the match via Tixr HERE.
