At 35 years old, Damer would be one of the youngest coaches in MLS. Dale Zanine / USA TODAY Sports
St. Louis City are nearing a deal to name Yoann Damet the club’s next head coach, sources briefed on the situation tell The Athletic.
Damet was previously an assistant under Wilfried Nancy with the Columbus Crew.
At 35 years old, he’ll be one of the youngest coaches in MLS, but he already has extensive experience in the league. He initially was an assistant for FC Cincinnati, and in two different stints, at age 29 and age 30, he was Cincinnati’s interim head coach.
Damet was head coach of the LA Galaxy’s second team in 2022 before joining Nancy in Columbus. With the Crew, Damet won the 2023 MLS Cup and the 2024 Leagues Cup.
Former CF Montréal head coach Laurent Courtois, former Atlanta United assistant Rob Valentino and St. Louis interim head coach David Critchley were among the finalists, sources say.
St. Louis finished 13th in the Western Conference last season, with head coach Olof Mellberg being dismissed merely months after being hired.
The club named Corey Wray as the club’s new GM this winter and the head coaching search was his first big priority. Now the club will look to add to the playing roster, which is led by Roman Bürki, Marcel Hartel, Joao Klauss and more.
St. Louis entered MLS in 2023, topping the Western Conference during the regular season in their expansion year. They have missed the playoffs in their next two seasons.
